School Lunches
Meal options
Our caterer, Olive, publishes the menus for school lunch every two terms. The menus can be seen below. If your child is having a school lunch, it makes things much more straightforward if you can discuss the day's options and what they are going to choose with them before they come to school. Staff members will assist children in making a choice, but parents are much more aware of what is a good choice for their child.
Please see below for the current menu:
Cage Green Menu Terms 1 & 2, 2024
Cage Green Menu Terms 3 & 4, 2025
Pupils may:
1. Remain in school and purchase a meal. The cost of a school meal is currently £2.45 for pupils in Key Stage 2 (Years 3, 4, 5 and 6). Payments should be made in a timely manner via the Arbor Parent Portal. Children in Years Reception, 1 and 2 are entitled to free school meals.
2. Remain in school and eat a packed lunch brought from home. Packed lunch meals for children are eaten at their allotted lunch time. All meals, whether cooked by the school or brought in from home are supervised by the Midday Supervisory staff.
PLEASE DO NOT BRING ANY FORM OF NUTS INTO SCHOOL INCLUDING NUTELLA, OR SIMILAR, SANDWICH SPREAD.
3. Go home, provided a written request has been made by parents.
Children are given plenty of time to eat their lunches and we expect all children to conduct themselves sensibly. Lunch time is a social time for children and we encourage the children in healthy conversation. We think that good table manners are really important so we like children to sit properly, use their cutlery and clean up any spillage they make (if appropriate). We also develop children's independence in managing their food.
In the interests of safety, pupils who have packed lunches are reminded of the risk to other pupils of bringing in to school items of food that may trigger an allergic reaction eg peanut allergy.
Pupils from the Centre join main school for lunch on a daily basis, alongside the main school pupils. The ratio of adults is high to ensure the experience is a positive one, whereby conversation and social skills practice is realised seamlessly.
Our catering contractor is called Olive Dining. They ensure that all school meals are ‘safe’ in regard to allergies, but the school encourages all parents/carers whose child(ren) is/are new to Cage Green to meet with the Head of Kitchen to discuss any aspects of the lunches that are provided. We understand that parents may be uncertain in the first few weeks as to whether they would like their child to have a meal prepared by our contractors or for their child to bring in their own packed lunch.
If parents/carers would like an appointment with the Head of Kitchen, this can be made by telephoning our school office on 01732 354325.
To support the school’s commitment to healthy lifestyles, we encourage all pupils to drink water in school. Water containers can be accessed throughout the school day at designated times planned by the class teacher. All plastic drinks containers should be marked with the child’s name and taken home weekly to be washed.
Please note:
In times of hardship, unemployment, changes in family circumstances etc., free lunches are often able to be provided by the Local Authority. If parents contact the school office in the first instance, concerns in relation to such matters will be dealt with sensitively and confidentially.
If you wish to check your eligibility for free school meals you can check via the Kent County Council website:
http://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children/schools/free-school-meals