Meals prepared and cooked fresh, in our own school kitchen, every single day!

We are very pleased to be able to let parents know that LTS Catering will be providing the catering provision for pupils at Ridgeway Primary Academy.  

LTS Catering hold the Soil Association Food for Life Gold Catering Mark in all of the primary academies/schools it provides for. This certification is awarded to caterers who pride themselves in providing fresh cook menus, using local suppliers, British farm assured and organic produce as standard, free range & fair trade products & seasonal ingredients.  

The menu for the coming term can be found below and it works on a three-week rotation. The meal cost to parents is £3.10 (from Sept 2024) and is paid in advance via ParentPay. Children will be asked at morning registration if they are having a school lunch and what their choice is. Alternatively, they can bring a packed lunch if they prefer.

Universal Infant Free School Meals 

The Government introduced Universal Infant Free School Meals in September 2014. If you have a child in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 your child is entitled to enjoy a school meal for free, every day. This scheme is open to everyone.

Free School Meals

If your child is under 19 and in full-time education, you may be able to get a Free School Meal for them if you get one of these benefits: 

• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance 

• Income Support (IS) 

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 

• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190) 

• Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit 

• Support under part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 if you’re an asylum seeker 

• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit 

• Children who receive Income Support (IS) or Income Based Jobseekers Allowance in their own right can also get free school meals. 

Does your child qualify for a Free School Meal? 

Even if your child is entitled to a Universal Infant Free School Meal (as they are in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2), it is still important to confirm if they would be eligible for a Free School Meal under the above criteria too. This will ensure Ridgeway Primary Academy will be in a position to obtain further funding from central government to provide additional support your child. This funding is also referred to as Pupil Premium. Please contact the school office for further information. 

Snacks

We provide our younger children with a piece of fruit for a mid-morning snack and encourage older, KS2 pupils to bring in either a fruit snack or a plain biscuit to keep them going until lunchtime. Fruit can be fresh, preserved (small cans or plastic tubs) dried, juiced or pureed. Carrots, cucumber and tomatoes are popular choices.

Drinking enough water is very important to ensure that children’s brains are functioning to their full potential for learning, so we encourage pupils to bring an unbreakable named water bottle to school with them every day – filled with water only. 

NHS-Change For Life offers this advice about preparing packed lunches for children at school. 

For allergens and further advice please go to: http://leicestershiretradedservices.org.uk/Page/1982 

If your child has a food allergy please do contact the School Office to discuss your child's needs.