School Lunches
New School Meal Provider: Cleverchefs
We’re excited to share that our school is partnered with Cleverchefs to provide our school meals. Cleverchefs are known for their commitment to fresh, nutritious, and child-friendly meals, and we’re looking forward to the positive impact this will have on our pupils’ dining experience.
Cleverchefs are passionate about creating nutritious, delicious, and exciting meals that children love. Founded by Nick Collins (a former MasterChef: The Professionals contestant), Cleverchefs are committed to using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and their ethos is all about providing perfection as standard. You can learn more about them in the attached brochure below.
Meal Price: £2.80
As part of this transition, we’re pleased to announce a meal price of £2.80, down from £3.20. We hope this makes school meals more accessible and affordable for families.
Parent Action Required: Sign Up to the App
To access Cleverchefs’ services, parents will need to sign up to the new app. A letter with full instructions has already been sent home and is also available to download below. Please follow the steps outlined to ensure your child is registered and ready to enjoy their new meals.
The good news is that you can plan ahead! The app allows you to:
- View the weekly menu in advance. Also attached below.
- Discuss meal choices with your child over the weekend.
- Pre-order meals for the entire week in one go — saving time and avoiding last-minute decisions.
We hope this new system makes things easier for families and ensures every child gets a meal they’ll enjoy.
We are confident that Cleverchefs will bring a fresh and exciting approach to school lunches, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact on our pupils’ dining experience.
Thank you for your support as we make this positive change to our school meal service!
Sandwiches
Children may bring a packed lunch to school as an alternative to a school dinner. Sweets are not allowed. Please encourage children to have a balanced meal in their lunchbox. This could include a sandwich and an item of fruit or raw vegetables. Water is provided for all children at lunchtime. If drinks are brought from home they should be in a suitable non-glass container or flask.
All sandwich boxes and drinks containers are collected in at the beginning of the school day for safekeeping and stored in a safe place.
Free School Meals
Did you know that the school can receive additional funding for children that meet the free school meal criteria? It is important for us to know if you would be eligible for Free School Meals/Pupil Premium so we can claim the additional funding which is used to ensure the full range of support is available to your child.
Important Changes to Free School Meal Eligibility from September 2026
There are significant changes to the Free School Meal (FSM) programme that will take effect from the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
Expansion of Eligibility
The government is expanding eligibility so that all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will now be entitled to receive a free school meal, regardless of their annual household earnings.
Going forward, there will be two distinct categories of benefits-based free school meals:
- Targeted FSM: For households on Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less. In addition to free meals, these pupils attract vital "Pupil Premium" funding for the school to support their education.
- Expanded FSM: A new category for households on Universal Credit with annual earnings exceeding £7,400. These pupils are entitled to free meals only.
What You Need to Do
- If your child already receives Free School Meals and you have applied through the Hampshire portal, you do not need to do anything. Although please be advised that the school will need to perform an annual recheck.
- If you think your child may now be eligible, please apply through the Hampshire portal:
Online FSM Application (A paper copy is available from the office or see attached below, if you prefer.)
- Please note: children eligible under the expanded criteria will only begin to receive Free School Meals from September 2026.
Notice for Families Currently Receiving Free School Meals
If your child currently receives free school meals, please be aware that the "transitional protections" that have been in place since 2018 will end at the close of the 2025 to 2026 academic year. From September 2026, all families must meet the new eligibility rules for their child to receive Free School Meals. The school is required to perform an annual recheck of all FSM eligibility ahead of the autumn term.
Support for Pupils with Additional Needs If your child has a disability or a specific medical condition (such as a severe allergy) that may prevent them from accessing standard school meals, please contact us. We are committed to making reasonable adjustments to ensure every eligible child can access their entitlement.