At St. Hilda's school meals are cooked on the premises with our own in-house team! This allows us to offer quality meals, greater flexibility with our menus and better value for families. We recognise that sometimes children want to eat a lunch on a specific day of the week, for various reasons.

We recognise some people like to choose a mix of school dinners and packed lunch for their child – that’s absolutely fine, as long as it’s the same pattern of school dinners and packed lunches every week. Please use the link below to complete the opt-in for school dinners form. 

Many children enjoy a school meal on Wednesday when it's roast dinner day or Friday when it’s fast food i.e. pizza! Please let office staff know which days you’d like to opt in for a school meal in the week, and which days you’d prefer to provide your child with a packed lunch. Children MUST stick to the same day/days every week.

Expectations: We ask that children only change from packed lunch to school dinner, or vice versa, at the start of each half term by completing this form. This helps the kitchen staff to plan ahead based on pupil numbers.

Opt-in for School Dinners Form

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both:

• younger than the compulsory age for starting school
• in full-time education

If you do not qualify for most benefits (also known as having ‘no recourse to public funds’), your child may still be eligible for free school meals. Ask their school or local authority whether they’re eligible.

	Free School Meals Oldham Council
	Free School Meals Application Form

As part of a government initiative to encourage healthier eating, our Foundation and Key Stage 1 children are offered a free piece of fruit or vegetable daily. This may include satsumas, bananas, apples, pears, cherry tomatoes or carrots.

In EYFS classes (Nursery and Reception) we offer snacks which can be purchased for £6.00 per half term.  If you would like your child to have a snack, please send the money in an envelope with your child's name on at the beginning of each half term.  This is to be handed to your child's class teacher.  Some examples of snacks are listed below, where appropriate snacks maybe themed around your child's learning for example, gingerbread men for their traditional tales topic.

• crackers
• crumpets
• bread sticks
• pancakes
• porridge
• toast
• rice cakes