Food and Nutrition at St Paul's CPS VA.
The St Paul's Kitchen team.
We have our own kitchen within school which is managed by Leeds City Council’s Catering Service. They employ a dedicated team who ensure that all children in school get a well-balanced meal at dinner time. Our Head Cook is Toni.
Here’s what Leeds City Council Catering service have to say:
Our school menus have been designed and developed by our qualified food technologist to provide nutritionally balanced, delicious and healthy choices for your child. All food must adhere to our ingredients and food additive policy before appearing on our menus. And just as we care about what goes on your child’s plate, we also care passionately about where it comes from.
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Our menus are designed to be nutritionally balanced, delicious and healthy.
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We only use suppliers that we know and trust.
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We insist on the highest quality food - always.
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We serve UK farm assured chicken, turkey, beef and lamb from carefully selected suppliers.
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Wherever possible we use locally grown seasonal fruit and vegetables.
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Salmon and white fish is caught responsibly and sustainably and all our tuna is dolphin friendly.
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All our eggs are free range and locally sourced from East Yorkshire.
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There are no hydrogenated fats in our school meals.
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You will never find any artificial colours in our meals.
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We offer a salad bar, fresh fruit and yoghurts every day.
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The menu is changed termly to keep it fresh and to enjoy the best seasonal foods on offer.
We value and celebrate the cultural diversity within Leeds and provide meals that cater for all. We can provide meals for those with special medical or dietary needs.
Our catering staff are well trained and on hand to support and guide your child through their lunchtime experiences.
Children are offered a choice of main courses and puddings, including salads and fresh fruit. Each child can choose from a selection of 3 meals at the beginning of the day. We have a meat dish (red option), a vegetarian dish (green option) and the either a jacket potato with filling or a sandwich with filling (purple option).
The current cost of a school meal is £2.44 from September 2022. School meals for Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are free.
For further information about Catering Leeds, please see: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/civicEnterprise/Our%20services/catering-leeds
Organisation of school dinners
We operate a daily choice system so the children select from the menu options every morning. This ensures that all children receive their choice of school dinner.
We also operate a 'mixed week', meaning children can have a combination of school dinners and packed lunches over a week. If you choose to do this, you have to select which days your child will have a school dinner and this is then fixed. For example a child may have a school dinner on a Monday and Wednesday and a packed lunch on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday but this has to be adhered to every week unless notice to change is given.
Packed Lunches
Children who do not choose to have a school dinner, bring a packed lunch. We encourage healthy, balanced lunches so whilst we do not want to be the 'Lunchtime Police', we do encourage healthy food in packed lunches such as fruit, brown bread, yogurts etc. rather than just sweets and biscuits.
We appreciate parents and carers support with this.
Notice to change from school dinners or packed lunches
If your child wishes to swap from school dinners to packed lunches or vice versa or you want to change the days your child has school dinners if they are currently on a mixed week, please give one week's notice as the food for the kitchen is ordered in advance. Please inform the school office either in writing, by phone or in person if you wish to change.
Free School Meals (FSM)
Free school meals are available to some children according to family income. It’s important to register for entitlement to free school meals, even if your child has a packed lunch – this is so we can receive additional funding (called the pupil premium) which we can use to help your child.
Children are entitled to Free School Meals if their parents, carers or guardians receive any of the following:
- Income support
- Income based job seekers allowance
- Income related employment and support allowance
- 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)
- The guaranteed element of pension credit
- Support under part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, or
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit with an annual income of less than £7,400 (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
If your child is eligible for free school meals, they'll continue to receive them until they move to a new stage of school, such as from primary into secondary school. They will also be entitled to a free carton of milk each day.
Please note if you are getting Working Tax Credit you do not qualify for free school meals.
If you think your child could be eligible for free school meals, refer to the Leeds City Council website https://www.leeds.gov.uk/schools-and-education/apply-for-free-school-meals
If you do qualify the school office will be notified directly by Leeds City Council and we will contact you to discuss your child's entitlement.
Free School Meals (FSM)
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| free-school-meals-application-301118.pdf | Download |
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| free-school-meals-application-301118.doc | Download |
Breaktime Snacks
At St Paul's Catholic Primary School, VA, we recognise that children benefit from a healthy snack during the school day, in addition to their lunchtime meal. Parents are encouraged to send in a healthy snack, such as a portion of chopped fruit or vegetables, each day. (Crisps, chocolate bars and unhealthy 'brunch bars' are not allowed.) Children should also bring in a water bottle. (Fizzy drinks and cordials are not allowed.)
No nut products are allowed in school.
Suggestions for Healthy breaktime snacks
These could include:
- Any variety of raw fruit and vegetables (chopped small to avoid choking)
- Cheese portions
- Bread sticks
- Low salt crackers
Please do not provide the following as snacks in school:
- Fizzy or sugary drinks
- Chocolate
- Sweets
- Nuts of any description
- Crisps
- Cereal/brunch bars (Many are high in sugar / fat)
- Pastries