School Meals

Our school meal provider is Cleverchefs. 

Meals are freshly prepared on site in our school kitchen. Alternatively, children may bring a packed lunch in a suitable container that can be safely stored on the lunchbox trolleys. Families are welcome to alternate between school meals and packed lunches on a daily basis. 

Stoughton Infants children select their lunch option during morning registration or let their teacher know if they have brought a packed lunch from home. 

Northmead Junior children pre-order their lunch via iPay Impact.  Orders can be placed up to a month in advance.  Any changes to lunch orders need to be done via iPay Impact before 9:00am.   The children’s class teacher will remind them of their choice each morning. 

Menus 

Our three-week rotating menus run on a weekly cycle. You can download the current menus below: 

Special Dietary Requirements 

If your child requires a special diet for medical, religious or ethical reasons, please complete a Special Dietary Request Form and return it to the school office. In some cases, you may be asked to meet with Cleverchefs to discuss your child’s requirements in more detail. 

Please note: this form is not intended for food preferences or dislikes, but for allergies or specific dietary needs. 

While we encourage all children to try a variety of foods, they are never forced to eat.  If your child experiences ongoing difficulties with their food at lunchtime, we will contact you to discuss this. 

Packed Lunches 

We are a nut-free school, and it is vital that we work together to keep all children safe. Please ensure that packed lunches do not contain nuts or nut-based spreads or products of any kind. 

We also ask for your support in promoting healthy eating habits. Please keep crisps and cakes to a minimum. Sweets, full-size chocolate bars and fizzy drinks are not considered part of a healthy packed lunch and should be kept for after school. 

Packed lunches should include water, squash or juice only. For safety reasons, please do not send thermos flasks, glass bottles or any items that could easily break. 

For ideas and inspiration, please visit the NHS lunchbox ideas and recipes webpage. 

Meal Charges 

Stoughton Infant School All children are entitled to a free school lunch. 

Northmead Junior School School meals cost £2.70 per day. 

Payments should be made online via your child’s personalised Ipay Impact account, which is issued to parents when their child joins Northmead. 

Ipay Impact is a trusted payment system which provides a simple and secure way for parents and guardians to pay for school meals. 

All payments made through iPayimpact are covered under the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to provide parents with the highest level of payment protection. 

Ipay Impact Parent Information Letter 

Families in receipt of any of the below may be entitled to free school meals 

  • Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400,
  • Income support,
  • Income based Jobseekers Allowance,
  • Income related Employment and Support Allowance,
  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999,
  • The guarantee element of Pension Credit,
  • Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by HMRC N.B. If you receive WORKING TAX CREDIT you do NOT qualify even if you receive child tax credit and your income is below £16,190 

Please complete a free school meal application, available from the school office, to check eligibility. Please note that free meals cannot be provided until the relevant documentation has been received.

Free School Meals – Important changes from September 2026

The government has announced important changes to benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM) from September 2026.

Changes to Current Protections

Currently, some children remain eligible under transitional protection arrangements, even if family circumstances change. These protections will end at the end of the current academic year.

From September 2026, eligibility will depend on a family’s current circumstances when checks are carried out. Checks will be carried out termly.

Expansion of Free School Meal Eligibility

All children in households receiving Universal Credit will become eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals. This means many more families are expected to qualify.

Why Applying Matters

Stoughton Infant School

Although all children in Infant School currently receive Universal Infant Free School Meals, it is still extremely important that families apply for benefits-related Free School Meals if they are eligible. This is because the application may also allow the school to receive additional government funding called Pupil Premium.

Northmead Junior School

Children in Junior School do not automatically receive free school meals. Families who are eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals should ensure they apply so their child can receive free meals in school and may also allow the school to receive additional Pupil Premium funding.

How Pupil Premium helps schools

Pupil Premium funding helps schools provide additional support for children, including:

  • extra teaching and learning support
  • intervention programmes
  • emotional wellbeing support
  • enrichment activities and resources
  • help with school trips and wider opportunities

Applying for Pupil Premium can make a real difference to the support and opportunities we are able to offer our pupils.

What Parents Should Do

  • Review the criteria for eligibility here.
  • Apply for Free School Meals if your family receives Universal Credit or fulfils any other criteria by completing the form below:
    • Stoughton FSM form
    • Northmead FSM form
  • Inform the school if your circumstances change