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School Dinners
At Willesborough Infant School all children are entitled to a free school lunch.
This is because the government provides funding for every child in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 to receive a Universal Free School Meal.
We provide children with a well-balanced hot meal. However, if you would prefer, you may provide your child with a packed lunch from home.
Approximately 75% of our children choose to have a school lunch. Children are served a healthy main course, along with a range of self-serve salad options. They can then choose either the day's dessert, a piece of fruit, or a yoghurt.
Our school dinner menu is varied and nutritious. Children receive a copy of the menu at the beginning of each term. The school kitchen can cater for children with allergies, those requiring dairy-free or gluten-free diets, vegetarians, and children who follow specific religious dietary practices.
Other children bring in a packed lunch
In line with our Food and Nutrition Policy, this should include:
● a starchy carb
●a protein
●a dairy item
●a portion of both fruit and veg
Packed lunches must not include:
● Nuts and Nut-Based Spreads: This includes peanut butter, Nutella, and some cereal bars.
● Fizzy, Sugary, and Energy Drinks: Cans, cartons, and bottles of soda, high-sugar juice,
and energy drinks.
● Sweets, Chocolate, and Confectionery: Chocolate bars, gummy sweets, and chocolate-
coated product- Crisps and High-Salt Snacks
We inform parents/carers about best practices for packing lunches, and ask them to:
●Use insulated, sealed bags for perishable foods
●Label lunch bags and their contents with the child’s name
●Make sure that the food is suitable for the child’s developmental needs and is prepared
in a way to prevent chokingSome of our children suffer from nut allergies and because of this we are a 'nut free school'. We ask that parents do not provide food items containing nuts in their child’s packed lunch.
Managing other special dietary requirements
We are committed to supporting children with special dietary requirements and food
intolerances, ensuring that every child can eat safely and in accordance with their cultural
needs and preferences.
Before a child joins our school, we gather detailed information about any special dietary or
health requirements, food preferences and intolerances. We share this information with all
staff involved in preparing and handling food. Our caterers plan menus to include food substitutions, where necessary, for children with
special dietary requirements in mind.
We also:
● Check any product changes with our food suppliers
● Ensure caterers read labels and product information before using a product
● Supervise children at mealtimes to avoid food sharing Children with dietary requirements wear lanyards. These display the child’s name,
photograph and dietary requirements. Children wear these every time they collect their
dinner and pudding to ensure they only eat the foods they are allowed.Birthday Celebrations
If parents/carers wish to bring in food for special occasions, we ask that they only do this on 1 of the following:
●For their own child’s birthday
●When asked to by the school
●When it has been agreed in advance
Food brought into school must not contain:
● Nuts or sesame
We ask that they follow the following guidelines:
● Provide healthy birthday celebration options (e.g. fruit platters) or non-edible items
(e.g. stickers) to share with the children, to promote consistent healthy eating messages
● Consider sharing healthy dishes during wider school celebrations, such as cake sales
and International Day celebrationsSpring/Summer Menu
tws spring summer 2026 menu.pdf
Please click here to download a PDF copy
Snack Time
All our children enjoy a healthy snack time every day.
Free fruit and vegetables are offered to all of our children. Alternatively, parents can provide their child with their own healthy snack - a piece of fruit or vegetable.
Alongside this, the children also have their bottle of milk or water.
This provides a nutritional boost and keeps children hydrated between breakfast and lunch, helping them to concentrate and learn.
Snack Time at Willesborough Infant School is personal, interactive and purposeful. We give our children opportunities to socialise with their peers and develop their communication skills. As part of their snack time, children in year one and two have the opportunity to participate in playground games and even generate their own. In reception the children have ample opportunities to play outside in child initiated sessions.
Cool Milk
Cool Milk is the UK’s leading school milk supplier, working in partnership with local authorities and early years groups to supply free and subsidised school milk to children in pre-schools, nurseries and primary schools.
Milk contains nearly all the vitamins and nutrients of importance to humans, including over half of a child’s RDA of calcium vital to help build strong and healthy teeth and bones; and childhood provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to build these strong.
School milk is excellent as a mid-morning drink. It provides a nutritional boost and keeps children hydrated between breakfast and lunch, helping them to concentrate and learn.
As part of a government directive to ensure that all children in the UK receive the nutrients that milk provides, children under the age of 5 are entitled to one free 189ml portion of milk per day at school. This cost is funded by the UK government.
If you haven't registered before, you will need to create a parent account. Just visit www.coolmilk.com/register.
You will then need to add your child(ren) to the account. If you already have an account, log in to your account at www.customers.coolmilk.com/manage/parent and you can add additional children.
Schools must now provide free milk for children entitled to benefits-based free school meals. If you feel that your child is entitled to free mid-morning milk, please contact our school office directly to request they register your child with Cool Milk – the school must add the child to their Cool Milk account you cannot do this on their behalf.
If you would like to cancel your child’s milk and you are paying for it then please email ‘Cool Milk’ at cancel@coolmilk.com and they will close your account and issue any appropriate refund.