School Meals
At Oatlands School we encourage children to learn about eating a healthy diet. In class, children cook, explore and taste a wide variety of foods. We see lunchtimes as a very important part of this learning.
Our school meals are prepared on site, each day by our catering partner Twelve15 (https://itstwelve15.co.uk/). Twelve15 offer a 3 week rolling menu which changes twice a year (Spring-Summer/Autumn-Winter) and is designed to meet strict dietary and nutritional guidelines. In addition, we work closely with Twelve15 to tailor each menu to reflect the age of our children. We have recently introduced 'meat-free Mondays' and 'starters' rather than dessert twice a week and the children have really enjoyed these changes.
The menu for the current week can be downloaded using the link at the bottom of this page.
Water is available for all children at lunch times and throughout the day. All children are provided with a free mid morning snack of fruit or vegetable from the Fruits for School Scheme. The type of fruit is seasonal so varies throughout the year however most frequently, your child can expect apples, bananas, pears, oranges, carrots or cherry tomatoes as a snack.
In the lunch-hall, the children will interact with the kitchen team to make choices about the lunch they are offered. They are then encouraged to be as self sufficient as possible, carrying their own plate when they find a seat on their class table, helping themselves to cutlery and independently cutting up their food. And, just like at home, we expect good table manners, correct use of cutlery and we encourage the children to try all the foods on their plate, especially the vegetables!
All pupils at at Oatlands are entitled to a free hot meal at school under the Universal Free School Meal scheme (UIFSM). If however you prefer to give your child a packed lunch, we are happy to accommodate this. We do expect you to pack a healthy meal, with no sweets, chocolate bars or fizzy drinks which is packed in a re-usable containers. Please click HERE for additional guidance about healthy packed lunches. We are a 'nut-free' school and must ensure that all food brought into school, including in packed lunches and after school snacks is entirely nut-free.
Should you wish to switch from having a hot lunch to a packed lunch or vice versa during the school year, we require a full weeks notice, in writing to the school office.
Special Dietary Requirements
Should your child require an alternative meal provision (due to medical, ethical or religious reasons) it is essential that you add a Special Dietary Requirement to their profile on Arbor (click HERE) so that we have the correct information to give to the kitchen and for use in class should we be food-tasting etc. Twelve15 are not able to accommodate food preferences and only offers specific alternatives to a defined range of allergens. For more information, please click HERE to explore the Allergies and Special Diets area of the Twelve15 website.
If your child's needs are particularly severe, Twelve15 may also ask you to complete a Special Diet form. (Link to follow) so that they have all the information they need to ensure that your child's dietary needs are being met.