School meals and milk

What is the cost of school meals?

The cost of a fixed price, two-course school meal and the value of a free school meal (see below) will be £2.20. The full list is as follows:

Pupil meals – all school types

Two-course meal: £2.20
Free school meal value: £2.20

Adult meals

Two-course meal: £2.76 (£2.30 + £0.46 VAT)
Main course only: £2.22 (£1.85 + £0.37 VAT)
Dessert only: £0.54 (£0.45 + £0.09 VAT)

Milk

Standard carton of milk: 20p

What type of meal will be provided for my child?

A wide variety of food, much of it additive free and low in salt and sugar, is provided. The variety of foods available enables pupils to have a balanced meal.

If your child attends a first/infant/primary schools, which does not have a kitchen then in most of these schools a two-course meal is provided at a fixed price. The menus are varied and designed to appeal to children. You can get a copy of the current menu from the school.
If your child attends a first /primary school, which has a part cash cafeteria then at these schools the main course of the meal is at a set price. Parents usually pay for this first course on Monday for the coming week, with credit for any meal not taken through illness or absence held over until the pupil’s return.
If your child attends a junior or middle school with a self-service cafeterias then a wide range of popular dishes are available. Pupils can choose from a menu of individually priced items. The menu is on display in school so that pupils can choose what they would like to eat. Copies of menus are available from the school.

Are special diets catered for in school meals?

Special diets can be provided for medical or religious reasons. If your child requires a special diet, you should give details to the school, including any recommendations. A letter from your child’s doctor should accompany any requests for special diets on medical grounds.

How do I pay for school meals?

If your child attends a first/infant/primary schools, which does not have a kitchen the school will tell you of the arrangements for payment of school lunch money but parents usually pay on Monday for the whole week. If a pupil is absent on a day when a lunch has been paid for, the meal will be held in credit until the pupil’s return.
If your child attends a first /primary school, which has a part cash cafeteria, food or drink chosen for the second course is paid for on the day and money for this course must be taken to school daily.
If your child attends a junior or middle school with a self-service cafeteria they may choose from a menu of individually priced items, which are paid for at the time they are taken. Pupils should therefore take money to school each day. The menu is on display in school so that pupils can choose what they would like to eat and calculate in advance how much money it will cost them. Copies of menus and price lists are available from the school.

If my child takes a packed lunch to school, where can they eat it?

Pupils bringing packed lunches to school are provided with a chair and a table at which to eat their meal. Cutlery and crockery are not provided and therefore children wishing to have a drink should bring their own cups. Drinking water is available.

In the interests of hygiene and safety, parents are asked to co-operate with the school in the provision of packed lunches. Lunches should be packed in leakproof containers. Canned drinks, vacuum ﬂasks and glass bottles should be avoided. Parents are advised that packed lunches are not refrigerated at school.

Free school meals

From September 2014, all children attending Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are offered free school meals as part of the Government’s 'Universal free school meals for infants' programme. If you receive a benefit that gives entitlement to free school meals (as detailed below) the school can also get additional funding but you must apply for us to confirm this to the Headteacher.

Children of families receiving Income Support, Employment Support Allowance (income related), Income-based Job Seekers allowance or Universal Credit are entitled to receive free school meals. Families receiving support under Part Vi of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are also entitled.

Families receiving child tax credit but who are not entitled to a working tax credit, and whose annual income (as assessed by the Inland Revenue) does not exceed £16,190 are also entitled, as are those who receive the guarantee element of state pension credit. Those families receiving working tax credit are not entitled to free school meals.

Note: Where a parent is entitled to working tax credit during the four-week period immediately after their employment ceases, or after they start to work less than 16 hours per week, their children are entitled to free school meals.

If you are receiving one of these benefits you can download the application form, which needs to be filled out and returned to your child's school. You can also ask the Headteacher of your child's school or call 0344 800 8020 for a printed copy.

You do not need to provide proof of the benefit you receive with your application. We will carry out checks against the records held by the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and the Home Office to determine entitlement. If further information is required in support of your application you will be contacted again.

Once entitlement has been assessed children can continue to receive free school meals until the family stops receiving a qualifying benefit. Parents are required to inform the school or Norfolk County Council of any changes and we will carry out regular checks of entitlement.

What exactly is meant by a family’s annual income?

For the purposes of claiming free school meals, ‘annual income’ is defined in education legislation as being ‘income for the tax year calculated in accordance with the Tax Credits (Definition and Calculation of Income) Regulations 2002'. This is the calculation that the Inland Revenue perform as part of the process used to assess a family’s entitlement to tax credits.

What if my child transfers to another Norfolk school?

The entitlement to free school meals continues for children transferring between one school and another subject to parents/carers continuing to receive one of the qualifying benefits. Records are updated using data held by the School Admissions Team.

Parents of children transferring to schools outside of the county should apply to the County Council where the school is situated.

Additional information and guidance can be obtained by email to admissions@norfolk.gov.uk.