We are proud to provide healthy and nutritious meals on our school site where St Bartholomew’s continues to hold a 5-star food hygiene certificate.  Each day, all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are automatically provided with a free school meal under the Universal Infant Free School Meal programme funded by the government.  Children in Key Stage 2 who are not entitled to Benefits Related Free Schools Meals are able to have school lunches paid for their parents or carers.

Each day children are offered a choice of:

• a vegetarian or meat based hot school meal
• a jacket potato with filling
• a choice from our range of sandwiches

In addition to this, they have the choice of:

• a hot pudding
• fruit
• yogurt

Representatives from our children periodically get involved in tasting meals to help produce the menus. Their views led to a recent introduction of Fish and Chip Friday!

All allergies and special dietary requirements are catered for. Parents and carers are asked to contact the school office to discuss individual requirements.

What are Free School Meals?

There is a clear difference between Universal Infant Free School Meals and Benefits Related Free School Meals. Benefits Related Free School Meals have to be applied for.

Your child may be entitled to free school meals if you get any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit – if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both: · younger than the compulsory age for starting school

• in full-time education

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they will remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they are in on 31 March 2022.

If you think that you may meet any of the criteria above for benefits related Free School Meals, especially for families whose circumstances have changed in light of Covid 19, please contact Somerset County Council to see if you qualify.

Free school meals (somerset.gov.uk)