School Meals
Children at Educate U usually bring in their own packed lunch to school. There are kitchens available on each floor to heat up pre-prepared food such as soup.
The school will provide facilities for pupils bringing in packed lunches and ensure that free, fresh drinking water is readily available at all times.
If your child is eligible for Free School Meals then staff will make and provide a packed lunch and snacks for your child in line with The School Food Standards Section 114a. Please click here for more information on Free School Meals
Packed Lunches, Drinks and Snacks
Packed lunches should include:
- at least one portion of fruit and one portion of vegetables every day.
- meat, fish or other source of non-dairy protein (e.g. falafel) every day
- oily fish, such as salmon, at least once every three weeks
- a starchy food such as any type of bread, pasta, rice, couscous, noodles, potatoes or other type of cereals every day
- dairy food such as milk, cheese, yoghurt, fromage frais or custard everyday
- Water bottle which can be topped up at school.
Ideally, packed lunches should not include:
- meat products such as sausage rolls, individual pies, corned beef and sausages/chipolatas should be included only occasionally.
- Confectionery such as chocolate bars and sweets (fruit strings are considered to be sweets). Cakes and biscuits are allowed but encourage your child to eat these only as part of a balanced meal.
- snacks such as crisps or cheddars. Instead, include seeds, vegetables and fruit (with no added salt, sugar or fat).
Packed lunches should never include:
- nuts – including peanut butter and Nutella – because of the life threatening risk to any other child who may have a severe allergy
- beans
- peas
- yellow food colouring
- legumes
Special diets and allergies
Educate U recognises that some pupils may require special diets that do not allow for the standards to be met exactly. For example, with children who restrict particular food/food groups. In this case parents are urged to be responsible in ensuring that packed lunches are as healthy as possible. For these reasons pupils are also not permitted to swap food items. Please be aware of nut allergies. We recommend you visit the www.allergyinschools.co.uk website for accurate, reliable information on managing allergies in schools.
Sensory Diets
Some children at Educate U have a sensory diet, which involves specific activities or dietary preferences tailored to meet their sensory needs. These needs can vary widely, but they often relate to how a child processes sensory input such as touch, taste, sound, and movement. For example, some children may require certain textures or flavours in their food to feel comfortable eating, while others may need sensory activities throughout the day to help them regulate and focus. A sensory diet aims to provide these children with the sensory input they need to function optimally and feel at ease in their environment. It may involve strategies such as offering chewy foods or providing opportunities for movement breaks during the day. Understanding and accommodating a child's sensory diet can be crucial for their well-being and ability to participate fully in daily activities. We can help to facilitate this for children on Free School Meals working in partnership with the child’s family.
