School Meals April 2023
Dear parent / carer
From the 1st April, we are taking our school meals provision in house. This means that we will be moving away from Caterlink and running our own catering service, without the restrictions imposed by an external company. We are very excited to be taking on this service and the added benefits for our school community. Read on below to find out what this means for you!
Who will be serving meals?
The fantastic Catering Staff who have joined us under Caterlink will now be full members of King Edward staff. They will continue to prepare and serve meals to your children who they know well from working with them over the previous year. Miss Jeffrey, Catering Manager, will oversee the provision.
How do I pay for meals?
From the 1st April, you will no longer pay for meals using Caterlink’s Online Payment System. Instead, you will pay using School Gateway which parents and carers are already very familiar with. After Easter, you will see a new menu option on the homepage called ‘Dinners’. Simply follow the instructions to add credit to your child’s account. Each time your child takes a meal, you will then be debited and be able to see your balance in the app. Any existing credit will be transferred for you from Caterlink’s system onto Gateway. We maintain the same no debt policy whereby you must ensure credit is on your account in order for your child to have a school meal.
What is the cost of a school meal?
There is no change to the price of school meals at the current time which will continue to cost £2.30 per meal.
Are Free School Meals (FSM) affected?
If your child is entitled to either benefits related or universal FSM, they can continue to access a school meal for free each day. There is nothing further you need to do.
Will the menu be different?
We will have a brand new menu starting after the Easter holidays which you can access at THIS LINK. We are working with Hutchinson Catering, who have experience in delivering school meals, to ensure the menu is varied and meets nutritional standards. Running our own provision means we also have the flexibility to include some of you children’s favorites – we’re pleased to say that Yorkshire puddings are back! The menu will always start on ‘Week 1’ following a half term or full term holiday.
What if my child has a food allergy?
Hutchinson Catering will also be supporting us with food allergens and intolerances and have a fully qualified dietician to ensure all needs can be met. If your child has any dietary requirements and would like to take up school meals, please contact the school office in the first instance.
How do I order a school meal?
There is no change to how you order a school meal. Children continue to come to school each day with either a packed lunch or joining the dinner queue to choose a school meal.
Will there be any disruption to service?
As our catering staff are already very familiar with our school, we anticipate very minimal disruption to service. In the final weeks of March, you may see slight changes to menu options. This is to use up remaining Caterlink stock prior to the end of our contract with them. This is out of our control and under direction from Caterlink.
Who do I contact if I have a query about school meals?
If you have any questions, please contact the school office in the first instance. Depending on the nature of your query, you may be directed to myself or Miss Jeffrey.
Thank you
Mrs Hunter
Business Manager
