At Roxbourne Primary School, we are committed to giving all of our pupils consistent messages about all aspects of health to help them understand the impact of their behaviours, and encourage them to take responsibility for the choices they make. This extends to the food we provide in school, and the food we allow pupils to eat while in school.

Government Guidelines for Food at School

As part of the School Food Plan, a new set of standards for all food served in schools was launched by the Department for Education. These school food standards are intended to help children develop healthy eating habits and ensure they obtain the energy and nutrition they need across the whole school day, which includes food provided for breakfasts, mid-morning snacks, lunches, tuck shops and after school clubs. At Roxbourne, we adhere to all of the standards set out in the School Food Plan.

For more information please visit the School Food Plan website.

School Lunches

In partnership with Edwards & Ward. (our caterers), we design exciting menus that will not only taste great,  but are balanced and nutritious. Based on your feedback, we have improved our portion sizes to reflect the nutritional needs of our Year groups and continue to monitor the quality and quantity of the meals served to our pupils.

We encourage all of our parents and carers to opt for school lunches; sharing food with peers helps pupils build relationships and social skills, as well as helping to ensure they receive a nutritionally balanced meal.

We fully adhere to The Requirements for School Food Regulations which set standards for school food into law, and specified which types of food and drinks should be served at school and how often. The requirements state that a healthy, balanced diet for pupils should include:

• plenty of fruit and vegetables
• plenty of unrefined starchy foods
• some meat, fish, eggs, beans and other non-dairy sources of protein
• some milk and dairy foods
• a small amount of food and drink high in fat, sugar and salt

We have also worked with Edwards and Ward on revamping our school's packed lunch provided for Educational visits with the goals to:

• provide a sustainable lunch which will contain 1 sandwich of choice, crudite, pasta salad, a piece of fruit and a biscuit
• make it easier to transport in pupil's bags
• make it easier to store in our canteen and be ready to be used on the next trip
• reduce our carbon footprint ie. no more brown bags and wrapping plastic paper

Special Dietary Requirements - ACTION REQUIRED

If your child has a special dietary requirement due to medical conditions and/or medical allergies, Edwards & Ward offer a simple process.

• Step 1: read their Special Diets process by clicking here.

• Step 2: register your child's special medical dietary requirements using their link here. It is important that you register your child's special MEDICAL dietary requirements as soon as possible.

Free School Meals

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2

• All pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are eligible for a free school lunch under the current government's Universal Infant Free School Meal scheme. We will continue to expect our pupils to enjoy a school meal as one class / year group / community with their peers.

Year 3, Year 4, Year 5 and Year 6

• Since September 2023, state primary school children in London, like those in our borough, have access to free school meals, saving families approximately £440 a year. The Mayor of London has confirmed that this provision will be extended until August 2025.
• We are very grateful for the support to our families during this cost of living crisis.

Nursery

• Pupils in full-time Nursery can enjoy a school meal or bring a packed lunch. The current cost of a school meal is £2.53 (To be confirmed).

School Lunch Menu

Please find our lunch menu below effective from Wednesday 4th September 2024. 

Selecting Meals on Arbor

Parents need to select their child's meal for every day of the week on Arbor.

Selecting a meal each day will help us:

• Monitor pupils' meal choice
• Track meal preferences for future menus
• Avoid food waste

Follow this guidance on how to book a meal choice on Arbor. You can book for the full term, weekly or daily (between 08:30 and 09:00 for the same day). If you do not select a meal option for your child (ren), they will be given a cheese sandwich as a default option.

Packed Lunches optional for pupils in Nursery

If you decide to opt for packed lunches for your child, we ask that you ensure these lunches provide the pupil with healthy and nutritious food that is similar to food served in schools, which is now regulated by national standards. Every day, a balanced child's lunchbox should include:

• a starchy food such as any type of bread, pasta, rice, couscous, noodles, potatoes or other type of cereals
• dairy food such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais or custard
• meat, fish or other source of non-dairy protein (e.g. lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas, hummus, and falafel)
• At least one portion of vegetables

Packed lunches should not include:

• Crisps
• Chocolate bars and sweets
• Cakes and biscuits
• Nuts
• Fast and deep fried foods: pizza, chicken nuggets, chips etc.

If your child’s packed lunch contains any items that are not permitted, these will be removed, returned at dismissal and you will be sent an email letting you know.