We offer healthy, nutritious school dinners provided by Herts Catering Ltd. The daily cost for these is £3.34 from 1st April 2024. Dinners must be paid for in advance, online via Arbor.

You can download the current menu using the link at the bottom of this page.

Free School Meals

Children in Key Stage 2 (School Years 3-6) with a parent/carer in receipt of one of the benefits listed below may be able to claim free school meals:

• Income Support 
• income-based Jobseekers Allowance 
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance 
• support under Immigration and Asylum law 
• the guarantee part of state pension credit 
• Child tax credit and you have an annual income of £16,190 before tax or less 
• Working tax credit during the 4-week run-on period 
• Universal Credit

 Apply online here or call 0300 123 4048 

Universal Infant Free School Meals

Children in Reception, Y1 & Y2 are automatically entitled to a FREE school meal. If you are in receipt of any of the above benefits please still click here and register so that the school can claim additional funding (known as Pupil Premium) for your child.

Allergies and Intolerances

HCL offers specifically adapted menus in line with our mainstream offer for selected food allergies, intolerances and some cultural choices. We pride ourselves on having a rigorous process in place to provide a safe meal service to pupils with food allergies or intolerances. We have created a new, online application service that simplifies applying for a Special Diet Menu. This is the required process for all new applications for special menus.

To ensure that food groups are not withdrawn from pupils’ diets without medical supervision and to also ensure that we have a full understanding of the medical implications, applications for special diets for medical reasons can only be made with supporting evidence from a GP, hospital consultant or dietician. If you do not hold medical evidence there is a form that can be downloaded and taken to a GP for them to stamp and sign.

The application usually takes about ten minutes to complete and can be accessed using this link: https://hertscatering.co.uk/allergy-menu-application/

Milk

The cost of milk for the Summer Term 2024 for infants and juniors will be £24.32. However, children who receive benefit-related free school meals and children who are 4 years old for the whole of the term are entitled to free milk (this must still be ordered). Children in years Rec, 1 & 2 who are not entitled to benefit-related free school meals and junior-aged children need to pay at the same time as ordering their milk.

If your child wishes to have milk, please fill in and return the milk order forms sent out termly. Milk order forms can also be found in the leaflet holder in the reception area of the school).

Packed Lunch

At St Mary’s we encourage our children to have a healthy, balanced diet. This helps to improve concentration, increase energy levels and is also good for mental health and self image. Each child’s lunch should have the following:

• 1) A portion of bread (or similar), rice, potatoes or pasta.
• 2) Plenty of fruit and vegetables.
• 3) A portion of dairy or a calcium rich alternative.
• 4) Some protein in the form of beans, pulses, fish, egg, meat.
• 5) A healthy drink / water

There are some great ideas on the NHS website if you follow this link https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes/

As always, packed lunches are not to have nuts, sweets, chocolate or fizzy/energy drinks. Do not fill your child’s packed lunch with biscuits, crisps, or cakes. These are not filling and contain too much sugar and saturated fat.

If your child would like to bring a snack for break time, this needs to be a piece of fruit or vegetable. This is to be in line with the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) which is a government programme that entitles every child in England, aged 4-6 in fully state-funded schools to a piece of fruit or vegetable each school day.