School MEALS
We ask that you maintain your child’s meal pattern (i.e. Cooked Lunch or Packed Lunch) as our caterers need to plan their numbers in advance. If you wish to change your child’s lunch pattern, please speak to the School Office.
COOKED LUNCH
At Ravenstone, we have our own kitchen where all the meals are prepared each day using fresh ingredients. Our school caterers are committed to providing healthy, well-balanced and varied meals. Staff actively encourage children to try new food and try to make lunchtime a happy and pleasant experience. You can help by browsing the menu with your children in advance to plan their meal choices. See below for the current menu:
If your child has a medically diagnosed dietary requirement, please request the Medically Prescribed Diets Request form from the School Office and and return it to the School Office along with supporting medical evidence.
For children in Nursery, school lunches cost £2.40 per day (£12 per week). Payments must be made in advance through Arbor by topping up your child’s lunch account. Currently, primary school children in state-funded schools in London get free school meals. However, if you are entitled to Free School Meals through the receipt of certain benefits, this may access additional funds for the school and benefits for your family. For more, follow the link to the Pupil Premium and Free School Meal page on our website:
PACKED LUNCH
If you prefer, your child may bring a packed lunch from home. We teach and promote healthy eating because on the basis that a well-balanced diet can have a positive impact on children’s health, behaviour and achievement. We ask that you ensure packed lunches are healthy and well balanced. Sweets, chocolates, crisps and fizzy drinks are not allowed.
If your child is having packed lunches please follow these reminders:
✔ The main element should be savoury such as a sandwich, filled pitta bread, wrap, pasta or rice salad
✔ Aim to include at least one portion of vegetables or salad
✔ Include at least one portion of fruit. This could be a fruit salad, a piece of fresh fruit or dried fruit
✔ For an extra snack, a fruit yogurt, fromage frais or rice cakes could be included
✔ Although we do not recommend sweet desserts, we accept that you may wish to pack your child a small piece of cake or a biscuit
✔ Water is provided by the school, however, you may provide a plastic bottle of water in your child’s lunchbox if you prefer
✘ Please do not provide your child with crisps, chocolate, sweets, or a drink other than water
✘ Please do not use chocolate spread as a sandwich filling
Water is readily available to all children, but please ensure any water bottles sent in are non-breakable.
Ravenstone is a nut free school, therefore we ask you to check carefully and avoid any nut products.
REFRESHMENTS
Water is readily available at any time and children are also asked to bring in their own labelled, unbreakable water bottle. Bottles must not be sent into school filled with squash, fruit juice, or fizzy drinks - they are to be used for water only. Together, we can help the children develop healthy eating habits early on, promoting improvements to their quality of life in both the short and long term.
In Nursery and Reception, fruit, provided by the government, is available as a snack whenever the children wish. In Year 1 - Year 6, fruit, provided by the Friends of Ravenstone, is available at morning break.
Although not essential, in Year 1 - Year 6, a morning snack can be sent in with your child. The snack must be healthy: full of vitamins and minerals containing no added salt, fat or sugar. That way, the snack will likely contribute to their 5 daily portions of fruit or vegetables and will help keep them alert and help them to concentrate.
If you are intending to send in a healthy snack, please use the list below to guide your choices. Providing snacks in small, named, reusable containers is ideal and will also help to reduce food packaging and waste.
- Vegetable sticks – such as celery, cucumber, peppers or carrot. A range of colour ensures different vitamins and minerals.
- A piece of cheddar cheese.
- A piece of fresh or dried fruit, high in soluble fibre and vitamins – pineapple, mango, kiwi, plain raisins, apricots, blueberries, banana slices.
- Bread sticks, plain pretzels, banana bread, malt loaf, oat/rice cakes and small pitta breads – these sources of carbohydrate will help to sustain them in-between meals
- A homemade snack – flapjacks or other oat/whole grain based snack.
- Please ensure your chosen snack is carefully checked to ensure it is nut free.
We are aiming for a common-sense approach, with the key being to keep it healthy and no chocolate, sweets, pastries or crisps. Children will be asked to leave any snacks which are unhealthy or not meeting the criteria above in their bags or lockers and return them home at the end of the day.
Again, please make sure that any snacks and packed lunches brought to the school are peanut and nut free.
