Catering
Our catering provision is provided by an external catering contractor, Caterlink.
Caterlink is a leading provider of contract catering to the education sector throughout the UK. They pride themselves on innovation and commitment to finding imaginative new ways to enhance every learner’s dining experience, by making school food tasty and appealing.
The cost of a student meal is £2.80 per day, which includes a hot meal, side, dessert and a drink from the 'hydration station'. Meals are free for students entitled to benefit-related Free School Meals.
We do not operate a home lunch option; students can bring a packed lunch if they do not wish to have a school meal. Please Note: Nuts of any kind, including chocolate spread containing nuts or hot food (e.g. soup) in thermos flasks etc, should not be brought into school.
Free School Meals
In England, free school meals (FSM) are currently a legal entitlement available to eligible students. Local authorities are responsible for providing free school meals.
We encourage parents and carers to apply for free school meals as we know that this both saves parents money and encourages students to eat healthy food.
Some parents may be reluctant to apply because they are concerned about any stigma attached to students receiving free school meals. However, because this system is automatic, students are not personally identified as receiving a free school meal and as such, anonymity is ensured.
If you pay for school meals, you can save almost £100 in primary schools and almost £409 in secondary schools by applying for Free School Meals.
Parents currently meet the eligibility criteria if they receive any of the following:
- Job Seeker's Allowance (income-based)
- Income Support
- Universal Credit - Your annual income assessed by the Department for Work and Pension must be less than £7,400. Any pupil eligible for free school meals before 1 April 2018 when the earned income threshold is introduced will retain their eligibility until then end of universal credit roll-out which is August 2026
- Child Tax Credit (but NOT receiving Working Tax Credit) – provided your annual income, assessed by the Inland Revenue, does not exceed £16,190 (please note: this amount is subject to change in April every year)
- Employment Support Allowance (income-related)
- Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Working Tax Credit run on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
To check your eligibility or to make a new claim, visit the links below.
Check eligibility and apply: Free school meals (eastriding.gov.uk)