Meals

School meals are served in the dining hall. Limited choice menus are now designed to meet the nutritional requirements for developing children and the School Meals Service introduces a wide variety of foods. We have two sittings, with the older children going in later to allow the Reception children to take their time over their lunch.

Dinner money is collected for the whole week, on Monday morning. All monies should be sent to school in a sealed envelope, marked with your child's name, class and the amount enclosed. This money is collected and counted by the office staff (not the class teacher) so money must be sent in at the start of the week. The current price (£1.80 per day as of 1st April 2009) compares very favourably with the cost of buying a child's meal in a cafe.

Children are allowed to stay for a packed lunch. However, we are not able to keep the lunch boxes in a refrigerated place, so we can take no responsibility for problems which could occur as a result of eating sandwiches, pies or yoghurt which are stored in warm classrooms during the morning period. Also children are not allowed to bring drinks in cans, glass or other breakable containers. We prefer children to have a piece of fruit each day, but this is only a recommendation.

Parents who wish their child to have a school supplied cold lunch known as a Tastebuster rather than hot lunch may do so. Children can choose from sandwiches, raw vegetables (celery, carrot, cucumber sticks), pasta, fresh fruit, yoghurt and milk shake or fruit juice.

It is helpful if parents give one week's notice of a child wishing to change from a school meal to packed lunches or the reverse as food is ordered on the basis of the previous week's numbers. A child who forgets his or her packed lunch can be provided with a school lunch and payment should be sent in the next day.

For more information on school meals visit Gateshead's website: School meals.

Lunchtime Supervision

As teachers take their break in the middle of the day, midday supervisors are appointed to look after the children who stay at school for lunch. The lunchtime assistants supervise activities and inform teachers about children who repeatedly misbehave.