School Meals & Lunchtime
Balanced, healthy meals are cooked on the premises and the majority of our children stay for a cooked meal. Children are encouraged to try a range of foods, with salad and fresh fruit being freely available every day.
In the Foundation Stage, children remain within the unit and dine together with the staff. Funding is received for all children in Reception and KS1 to receive a hot universal infant free school meal, (UIFSM). Nursery children are not provided with a free meal. We would strongly encourage our Nursery pupils to access a paid lunch so that they are able to join in with our family style dining alongside their Reception peers – however pupils may also bring a packed lunch if they choose.
Children in KS2 may either choose for a paid hot lunch or bring a healthy packed lunch. We ask that parents think carefully about the contents of their packed lunch and ask for healthy items to be considered with minimal chocolate and crisps only once a week. Hot items can be provided in flasks – however these are used at parents overarching responsibility and should be at a temperature suitable for a child to access independently.
The children are cared for by a team of teaching assistants, providing familiar adults over the lunchtime. They socialise and play together on the playgrounds, fields and play areas where there is a range of outdoor play and learning opportunities to encourage our children to be active. We have a lunch time sports coach providing a range of multi-skills activities and sports for our pupils throughout the lunchtime period – this encourages healthy wellbeing.
Dinner money should be paid for on the electronic payment system which is part of Arbor. This should be paid in advance.
If you think that your child may be eligible to a free school meal, you can obtain further information and apply though Sunderland Local Authority here: https://www.togetherforchildren.org.uk/families/free-school-meals. It is essential that you do this, as this will bring additional monies into the Academy for your child.
At Benedict Biscop CE Academy, we strongly believe that children need to be safe and healthy. We provide the children in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 with fruit each day, to promote a healthy diet. We provide water bottles and water coolers. Research has indicated that water does have a positive effect on children’s behaviour and learning ability.
All children in Foundation stage receive milk daily in a government funded scheme.
