School Lunches and allergens

At Exford First School, we believe that providing nutritious and delicious meals is essential for the well-being and development of our students. Choosing school meals offers a range of benefits that contribute to your child's overall educational experience:

Nutritious and Balanced Meals: Our dedicated school cook prepares fresh, healthy meals on-site using the finest ingredients. We ensure that our menus meet nutritional guidelines, offering a balanced mix of proteins, carbohydrates, fruits, and vegetables.
Free School Meals for Key Stage 1: Children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 are entitled to a free hot school meal as part of the Universal Infant Free School Meal scheme. This ensures that every child has access to a nutritious meal without any additional cost.
Pupil Premium Funding: By registering and qualifying for free school meals, Exford First School receives additional funding called the 'Pupil Premium.' This funding enables us to offer extra clubs, provide literacy and numeracy support, and invest in additional educational resources to benefit all students.
Convenience and Time-Saving: School meals save parents and caregivers time and effort in preparing packed lunches. You can trust that your child will enjoy a wholesome meal during their school day, eliminating the need for meal preparation at home.
Support for Local Businesses: We take pride in supporting local businesses by sourcing our ingredients from them. Our meat comes from a local family butcher, and our fresh fruits and vegetables are supplied by a local greengrocer who supports nearby farms.
High Hygiene Standards: We maintain excellent hygiene standards in our school kitchen, as evidenced by our consistently high hygiene rating. Our commitment to cleanliness ensures that your child's meals are prepared and served in a safe and hygienic environment.

How to Qualify for Free School Meals?

If you are wondering whether your child qualifies for free school meals, please check the following criteria:

Income Support (IS)
Employment Support Allowance (Income Related) – not Contribution related
Income-based Job Seekers Allowance (IBJSB) – not Contribution based
Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Child Tax Credit with an annual taxable income (as assessed by HMRC) of less than £16,190.
Key Stage 1 children are entitled to a free hot school meal. An example of our school menu is available below.

To register your child for free school meals, please contact the Admissions and Entitlements Team at County Hall, Taunton TA1 4DY. Rest assured that your registration is confidential and will not affect any other benefits you are currently receiving.

How does it work?

The Government is giving money to schools to help children from lower income families do their very best. This funding is called a ‘Pupil Premium’. For every child registered Exford First School gets £1320 (academic year 2018/19). With this money we could fund extra clubs and provide additional literacy and numeracy support for children, as well as being able to purchase extra resources.

First check if you qualify – it is not just if you are unemployed, so please look at the list below.
Registering is really easy and quick – if you think you qualify, please contact the Admissions and Entitlements Team, County Hall, Taunton TA1 4DY.
If you want your child to have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime that’s great – they will get the free school meal, extra benefits and the school gets £1320 extra.
If you don’t want your child to have the school meals they can continue as normal – as long
As you qualify and are registered, the school still gets £1320 extra.
No one will know you have registered and it will not affect any other benefits you are claiming.
Please register as soon as possible to make sure your child and others in their class don’t miss out.

More information here

What do we offer?

School meals are cooked on the premises and are available to all children.
Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to a free meal under the Universal Infant Free School Meal scheme. Meals for children in Preschool, Year 3 and Year 4 currently cost £2.50 each. Meals for Little Berries Preschool children are available on Mondays & Thursdays.

Ordering cooked schools meals is a simple process using our Parentmail App. Through the App you will be able to complete the form requesting the preferred meal choice for your child, along with making secure payments if your child is not entitled to free school meals. If you require any assistance with using the Parentmail App please speak to the school office as we will be happy to assist with this.

All our meals are cooked daily, on site, using the freshest ingredients. Where possible we support local businesses to provide our raw ingredients. A local family butchers supplies our meat and a local greengrocer, who supports local farms, supplies our fresh fruit and vegetables

We are extremely proud of the quality of meals available at school and of the consistently high hygiene rating we are awarded.
The standards found on our last inspection:

Hygienic food handling - Good

Cleanliness and condition of facilities and building - Good

Management of food safety - Very good

‍Details of our last inspection can be found here: Food Standards Agency Website

Our allergen information is available here

Don't Delay - Register Today!

By giving your child a school meal, you not only ensure that they receive a healthy and nutritious meal but also help us secure additional funding to enhance their educational experience. Registering is quick and easy, so don't let your child miss out on this opportunity.

For more information and to access the full list of benefits, please visit More information here. Together, let's provide our children with the nourishment they need to thrive academically and beyond.