School Meals

• Home
• Education and Learning
• Schools
• School Meals

In recent years, school meals have received much publicity and are now radically changing. Since September 2006, new government food standards for school lunches have been implemented. This will be followed by the nutrient standards which will be required in primary schools by 2008 and secondary schools in 2009. These standards will be monitored during a school's Ofsted inspection.

In addition, the School Food Trust was set up in 2005 with £15 million of funding from the DfES to promote the education and health of children and young people by improving the quality of food supplied and consumed in schools.

School Meal Funding

As of April 2000 all national funding for school meals was delegated from Local Authorities to secondary schools, with primary schools having the option of delegated funding. In Kingston, all schools receive delegated funding except for two special schools, Dysart and St Philip's which are controlled by the local authority

When a school receives delegated funding, the legal responsibility for school meals changes from the Local Authority to the Governing Body of that school. The Governing Body then has the responsibility to offer free schools meals to eligible pupils, to offer paid meals to parents if parents request them and to monitor the food standards. The Governing Body at your children's school should be able to answer any specific queries you have about their school lunches. (please see related external links)

Hot Meals

We have a central Local Authority school meal contract which a number of schools have joined so they can provide Free School Meal pack lunches. In addition, since September 2006 this central contract now provides eighteen schools in the borough with nutritious and good value hot meals.

The Council is responsible for making sure the central contractor meets the new food and nutrient based standards. The authority works closely with its school meal contractor and the Kingston and Richmond NHS Primary Care Trust, including dieticians to ensure both the pack lunches and hot meals are meeting the current standards.

The schools currently part of the hot meal contract are;

• Alexandra Infants School
• Burlington Infant and Nursery School
• Castle Hill Primary School (Cygnet Simplicity)
• Christ Church C of E Primary School (New Malden)
• Christ Church C of E Primary School (Surbiton)
• Coombe Hill Infants School
• Coombe Hill Juniors School
• Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School (Cygnet Simplicity)
• Fern Hill Primary School
• Grand Avenue Primary and Nursery School
• Green Lane Primary and Nursery School
• Knollmead Primary School
• Lovelace Primary School (Cygnet Simplicity)
• Malden Parochial Church of England Primary School
• Maple Infant School
• Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School
• Robin Hood Primary School
• St Agatha's Catholic Primary School
• St Andrew's and St Mark's C of E Junior School
• St John's C of E Primary School
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
• St Luke's C of E Primary School (Cygnet Simplicity)
• St Mary's C of E Primary School (Cygnet Simplicity)
• St Matthew's C of E Primary School
• St Paul's C of E Primary School (Cygnet Simplicity)
• Surbiton Children's Centre Nursery
• The Mount Primary (Cygnet Simplicity)

Free School Meals

Free school meals may be provided for your children if you, as a parent are in receipt of Income Support, Income Based Job Seekers Allowance, income-related employment and support allowance (this benefit was introduced on 27 October 2008), the guarantee element of State Pension Credit, support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 or receive Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income of less then £16,190.

From September 2010, pupils in key stage 1 (reception to year 2) whose parents are in receipt of working tax credit and their income is less than £16,190 will be eligible for free school meals. This eligibility is expected to be extended to those pupils in key stage 2 (year 3 to 6) in the 2011/12 academic year. Confirmation of key stage 2 (year 3 to 6) will be published here if this is confirmed.

Nursery aged children eligible for Free School Meals must be receiving education before and after lunch to be entitled to Free School Meals.

If you wish to apply for free school meals online or via paper application, please click on the relevant link below.

If you require any further information about Free School Meals, please contact the Information and Advice Centre on 020 8547 5234 or email freeschoolmeals@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

Provision of Milk

Several schools in the borough do provide milk for their pupils and you should contact your child's school for  information or see our related external links below for further guidance.

If your child is entitled to Free School Meals, your child will also be entitled to Free School Milk, providing that the school they attend offer milk.  Your child may also be eligible for Free School Milk (irrespective of your income) if they are aged under 5 years old (again, provision is dependent on the school they attend, and whether that school offers milk).

.............................................................................................................