School Meals & Packed Lunches

Schools Meals

Children can enjoy a freshly cooked meal every day which is prepared in our school kitchen on site. The meals are made by Chartwells.

Please click here to see the Autumn/Winter menu. 

Under the Government’s Universal Free School Meals initiative, we expect all children from Reception to Year 2 to enjoy a school meal every day.  Children in Years 3-6 can opt to have the school meal which currently costs £2.45 per day or bring in a packed lunch from home.

Pupil Premium Funding (previously known as Free School Meals) was introduced in April 2011. This is funding for children from low-income families who were eligible for free school meals, looked after children and those from families with parents in the Armed Forces.  The school receives an additional £1,455 funding for your child if you are in receipt of certain benefits.

If an application is successful children will be entitled to free school meals (Years 3-6), free milk and learning support in class.  You can find more information here.

The funding is not automatic, so we encourage all parents/carers to make an application if they qualify.  Please click on the link below to see if you can apply:

Free School Meals on Hertfordshire County Council website

Healthy Packed Lunches

At Cherry Tree, we pride ourselves on being fit and healthy. We like to learn about how to keep a happy body and a happy mind. We love to take part in the Daily Mile to keep us active and understand the importance of eating a balanced diet to help us to grow.

Some of our children choose to bring in a packed lunch, and we would like to offer some ideas as to what you might want to include. We would like to encourage you to talk to your children about the food choices we make and what goes into a balanced lunch.

We understand that you will not always be able to provide all the things suggested, and we would like the opportunity to help you with alternative ideas. If you would like any additional support with providing a balanced lunch, please let us know and we would be happy to help.

For safety, we would like to ask that you are aware of the following:

  • Please do not include anything containing nuts, even if your child is not allergic as we are a nut free school and have children with severe allergies. Any nut-based items identified in packed lunches will be removed, and a guidance note will be sent home.
  • Please cut grapes in half, lengthways.

A balanced packed lunch could include:

  • A good portion of starchy food, e.g. wholegrain roll, tortilla wrap, chapatti, pitta pocket, couscous, pasta or rice salad. Try different breads or other starchy foods for variety.
  • A portion of lean meat, fish or alternative, e.g. chicken, ham, beef, tuna, egg, beans, lentils or hummus.
  • Plenty of fruit and vegetables, e.g. an apple, satsuma, handful of cherry tomatoes or carrot sticks, small tub of fruit salad or a small box of raisins.
  • A portion of dairy food, e.g. cheese, yogurt or frontage frais.
  • Water bottles should be in school every day.
  • Packed lunches should not contain any form of chocolate spread.

Having a healthy, balanced lunch does not mean giving up all the foods children enjoy. Foods such as a slice of malt loaf or banana bread, a fruit scone, a small packet of crisps or a biscuit can be included from time to time for variety and appeal. A fun-sized chocolate snack can be provided as a treat for eating after a healthy balanced lunch.

Lunchboxes must be clearly labelled with your child’s name and class.

Some great ideas for healthy lunches can be found at https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes