School Lunches
Gildredge House currently offers hot school lunches which are provided by Harrison Catering. Information on Universal Infant Free School Meals (Reception – Year 2) and Free School Meals can be found here.
Harrison Catering have a vision to encourage children to explore new tastes and make healthier food choices through their formative years. They provide nutritious, balanced meals. The goal is to instill a love and understanding of fresh, healthy food that will positively influence all students in school and throughout life.
Harrison staff play an integral part in the success of the catering service, with learning and development high on the agenda. To ensure the best customer experience at Gildredge House and all staff complete Smile accredited customer service training and are encouraged/supported to develop professionally throughout their career.
The Harrison team are excited to serve your children and have been working closely with staff at Gildredge House to tailor menus to the tastes and preferences of the students to provide a Breakfast, Morning Break and Lunch service daily.
The menus will be created with local tastes and preferences in mind and offer a wide range of popular, delicious dishes to encourage balanced meal choices full of flavor. For Secondary they are provided at Morning Break and Lunch break, and for Primary at lunch service daily.
Creative chefs will also plan and organise enjoyable, additional food experiences with promotions, themed events with links to the school's curriculum, cultural and celebration dates to create a fun, engaging, enjoyable dining experience, so look out for further announcements about these events.
Harrison recognises that some children may have an allergic reaction or intolerance to one or more commonly eaten foods and therefore has robust processes to assist Gildredge House in managing allergens; for more information, please visit the Harrison website or contact the on-site Chef/Catering Manager. The catering team also work closely with Gildredge House students and their families to address individual dietary needs.
With over twenty-five years of experience, Harrison is committed to reducing the environmental impact within the catering business through responsible sourcing, reducing waste and recycling as much as possible. Harrison Catering understand that we are all responsible for protecting our planet now and for future generations. As a result, they analyse and consider business processes and practices and where possible, implement more sustainable solutions that positively impact the environment.
For more in-depth knowledge about Harrison Catering or recipe inspiration and a selection of how-to videos, please visit www.harrisoncatering.co.uk, or to learn more about the foundation they run, please visit www.geoffreyharrisonfoundation.org.uk to understand how Harrison encourage young people into a career in hospitality.
Harrison welcome and value all feedback on the Gildredge House catering service. If you have any comments, suggestions or feedback about the catering service, please don't hesitate to contact the on-site Catering Manager.
Allergy Aware School
In our allergy awareness, we strive to be a Nut Free Allergy Aware School community. We ask that nuts and nut products (e.g. peanut butter) are not consumed on school premises or grounds. They also must not be brought in or sent to school because of allergy concerns for our school community; please check food labels carefully and support us in this mission. Children are not allowed to share food items for this same reason.
Lunch
Students may purchase a hot school meal or, if they prefer, they can bring in a healthy packed lunch. When not eating, the students have the opportunity to play with their peer group and, as long as the weather is good, the field and outside areas will be supervised for their use. During wet weather, it is expected that students follow direction and stay indoors. Please be aware that there is a £5.00 spending limit per day for each child in the canteen.
Universal Infant Free School Meals
Following a full review of school meals in England in 2013, the Government introduced Universal Infant Free School Meals for all students in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 from September 2014. Whilst school meals at Gildredge House are not mandatory, you could save up to £415 per year as well as the time involved in buying and making up packed lunches.
Free School Meals
As well as Universal Infant Free School Meals, some students may also be entitled to Free School Meals. To find out more about how to claim Free School Meals for your child, please visit the Department for Education Website and type in your postcode to access the application for your particular county council. Your child may be able to get free school meals if you receive any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit – if you apply on or after 1st April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Children will continue to receive free school meals if they meet the existing eligibility criteria and are in receipt of full-time education or education both before and after the lunch period. You can apply online for Free School Meals by clicking on the following link: