School Menu
COOKED LUNCHES
Pupils at Parkend School may have a cooked lunch in school or bring a packed lunch. Hot dinners are cooked by contract caterers Caterlink and are transported from Yorkley School to Parkend in insulated trays.
There is a vegetarian and vegan option available - for vegan please ask for the separate menu.
PACKED LUNCHES
Children are encouraged to bring a healthy packed lunch. We do not allow fizzy drinks and discourage sweets and chocolates. Breakable drink containers are not permitted.
SEATED TABLES
Pupils are assigned places at regular tables of mixed age range and supervised while they eat. Positive, polite eating behaviour is encouraged and mutual respect when eating.
A great advantage of Parkend School’s smaller size is that cooked and packed lunch pupils can all eat together in one communal lunch session.
EACH MORNING BREAK, KS1 children are offered a piece of fruit or raw vegetable (funded by the Government) as a healthy snack, promoting commitment to healthy living.
KS2 children are encouraged to bring a healthy snack.
Snack time is a social occasion for the children, an opportunity to develop social skills and good manners and it is a very popular time of day.
All children are encouraged to drink plenty of fresh water and there is a chilled water dispenser in the main school hall.
WE ARE PLEASED to be able to offer the Cool Milk Scheme to all our pupils. By registering your child for the Cool Milk scheme they can receive 189ml (a third of a pint) carton of semi-skimmed milk every day. This is delivered fresh and chilled to their classroom every day.
Thanks to government subsidies, school milk is free for under-fives and for pupils eligible for Free School Meals and is subsidised for all other pupils at around £18 a term.
WHY SHOULD I REGISTER MY CHILD?
School milk provides your child with essential nutrients. It is also re-hydrating and energy boosting, helping to bridge the long gap between breakfast and lunch so children stay focused.
Find out the top ten reasons to drink school milk!
HOW DO I REGISTER MY CHILD?
If your child is under five:
Go to Cool Milk or pick up a form from school
Just register by a Tuesday for your child’s free milk to start the following week
Free milk will continue until the Friday before your child’s fifth birthday. You will receive a payment request three weeks before this time- if you wish for your child to continue to receive school milk simply make a payment.
If your child is over five:
Go to Cool Milk or pick up a form from school
Pay Cool Milk online, over the phone, at a local PayPoint, or by cheque in installments to suit you. If registering online you can pay straight away, if using a registration form you will need to wait to receive a payment request.
Just pay by a Tuesday for your child’s milk to start the following week.
HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE?
Visit Cool Milk or contact them directly on 0800 142 2972
UNIVERSAL INFANT FREE SCHOOL MEALS (UIFSM)
Following the Department for Education’s recent review of school food, the government has decided that all pupils in KS1 – Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will be entitled to have a free school meal at lunchtime. This offer does not depend on your household income or whether you receive any benefits – every child in these classes is eligible to take up the offer.
In a trial, it was found that pupils who ate a high quality school lunch achieved better academically than those who did not. They were also more likely to eat healthier foods such as vegetables at lunchtime instead of less healthy foods such as crisps.
Parents in the trial appreciated saving the cost of school lunches (currently £2.71 per child per day) and not having to spend time preparing packed lunches.
On joining the school you will be asked to complete a registration form which will automatically enrol your child for UIFSM. Your child does not have to have a school meal and can still have a packed lunch if they wish. This form is also available to download from the link below.
FREE SCHOOL MEALS (INCOME BASED)
If you think your child may be entitled to Free School Meals (any age) based on your financial circumstances please contact the school. The same form for Universal Infant Free School Meals can also be used to apply for Income Based Free School Meals.
Entitlement to Income Based Free School Meals also makes your child eligible for Pupil Premium See below – currently worth £1,300. This money is paid to the school and can be used to support your child’s learning and support access to after school activities, trips etc. Please contact reception if you have any queries.