At our school, we are proud to offer delicious, healthy and nutritious meals prepared fresh on site each day by our fabulous school cook, Jamie. Meals are cooked on site using quality ingredients and are carefully planned to meet national food standards. Our menus are developed and regularly reviewed by the Sunderland School Meals Team, ensuring children enjoy a balanced, varied and healthy diet every day. 

We believe lunchtime is an important part of the school day and a valuable opportunity for children to develop healthy eating habits, try new foods and enjoy time with their friends.

Allergies and Special Diets

We are committed to ensuring that all children can safely enjoy school meals.

If your child has an allergy, food intolerance or special dietary requirement, please provide supporting medical documentation to the school office as soon as possible. We will work closely with Jamie and the Sunderland School Meals Team to create an individual plan and ensure suitable meal options are available. The school meals service has specialist support available to help cater for a wide range of medical dietary needs.

Please ensure the school is informed promptly of any changes to your child's medical needs so that meal arrangements can be reviewed and updated.

School Meal Costs

The current cost of a school meal is:

• £2.50 per day
• £12.50 per week

Who Pays for School Meals?

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to Universal Infant Free School Meals, meaning there is no charge for school lunches.

Children in Years 3 to 6 are expected to pay for school meals unless they qualify for benefits-related Free School Meals.

Children attending our two-year-old provision or Nursery, including those accessing funded 30-hour childcare places, are required to pay for school meals unless they are entitled to benefits-related Free School Meals.

Packed Lunches

Children in Year 3 and above may choose to bring a packed lunch from home if they prefer not to have a school meal.

As children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive Universal Infant Free School Meals, many families choose to take advantage of this entitlement. From Year 3 onwards, parents and carers are expected to pay for school meals unless their child qualifies for Free School Meals.

If your child brings a packed lunch, we ask that it supports our commitment to healthy eating and contains a balanced selection of foods. Packed lunches should not include fizzy drinks, sweets or excessive amounts of chocolate.

For health and safety reasons, packed lunches must not contain hot food or hot drinks, including items such as soup, noodles or food transported in flasks.

Packed Lunch or School Meal? Let Us Know!

If your child would like to switch from packed lunches to school meals, or from school meals to packed lunches, you must inform the school office by sending a message through Arbor.

If we do not receive notification of a change, you may still be charged for meals that have already been ordered and prepared.

To support Jamie, our School Cook, with menu planning, food ordering and reducing food waste, we kindly ask that any changes to meal arrangements are made at the start of a new half term wherever possible.

Free School Meals

Families who may be entitled to Free School Meals are encouraged to apply. Even if your child is currently receiving Universal Infant Free School Meals in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2, we strongly encourage eligible families to apply as this may provide additional funding for the school through Pupil Premium, helping us provide further support and opportunities for children. 

Applications can be made through the Family Portal.

Apply here: Sunderland Family Portal

Further information about eligibility can be found on the Together for Children Sunderland website.

If you are unsure whether you qualify or would like support completing an application, please contact the school office. We will be happy to help and all enquiries will be treated confidentially.

Paying for School Meals Through Arbor

All school meal payments should be made through the Arbor Parent App or Parent Portal.

To make a payment:

1. Log in to your Arbor Parent App or Parent Portal.
2. Select Payments from the main menu.
3. Choose School Meals.
4. View your current balance.
5. Select Top Up Account.
6. Enter the amount you wish to pay.
7. Complete the payment using your preferred payment method.

We recommend maintaining a credit balance wherever possible to ensure meals can continue to be ordered without interruption.

Meal Accounts and Support

We ask all families to ensure that meal accounts do not fall into arrears. Regularly checking your Arbor account and making payments in advance helps us manage the school meals service efficiently.

However, we understand that families can sometimes face unexpected financial difficulties. If you have concerns about making payments, please contact the school office as soon as possible. We are here to help and will always work with families sensitively, respectfully and confidentially to find a solution.

If you require any assistance with meal payments, Free School Meal applications, dietary requirements, allergies or accessing Arbor, please do not hesitate to contact the school office. We are always happy to help.