School Meals

Meals are cooked on the premises by our cook.  All meals are cooked by Gateshead Council Catering on the premises and served to national food standards.  There is a choice of three meals, we use a coloured band system and children are given the option of choosing in advance to ensure availability.

There is a charge of £3.00 per meal (£2.35 for nursery children) to be paid directly through Arbor.  Children may wish to change between packed lunch and school dinners but we ask for a full week’s notice to accommodate these changes..

Free School Meals

Every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 classes is now entitled to a free school meal under the government’s universal infant free school meal scheme. This is not means-tested. 

Your children may also qualify for means-tested free school meals if you meet the following criteria: 

• You or your partner receive child benefit (for the child you are applying for), and 
• The child is in full time education, under 19 years of age, and 
• The child attends a local authority school or sixth form. 

You and your partner must be in receipt of one of the following benefits: 

• Income Support 
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA – IB) 
• Guarantee Pension Credit 
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA Income Related) 
• Child Tax Credit – but not Working Tax Credit – and your income for Tax Credit purposes must be less than £16,190.00 (details are shown on your Tax Credit award notice) 
• Working Tax Credit Run-on
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 
• Universal Credit

If you qualify for Free School Meals, it is important that you apply – even if your children are in reception, year 1 or year 2. For every valid application, we can claim extra funding for resources such as extra tuition, teaching assistants or after-school clubs. 

Children who receive a free school meal are not singled out in any way. 

If you meet the above criteria please apply online using the link below.