SCHOOL LUNCHES & MENUS
Healthy meals
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Harrisons are an external company that provide the school with a school meals service. We are fortunate to have Mrs Darling (Chef) and Mrs Lewis (Assistant) with us everyday who cook meals on site from scratch.
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Click here to find out more about Harrisons.
Delicious food, full of smiles
The quality of our food is partnered with the quality of our service – after all, we are Food with Thought! Quality isn’t just what we look for in our ingredients, it’s what we offer in our service. Harrison is who we are because we respect what goes into your meal as well as the people that prepare and deliver it. (Harrison)
Universal Meals
Universal meals refers to the government offer for children in Foundation Stage 2, Year 1 and Year 2 to receive universal school meals provide free, nutritious lunches to all students in certain year groups, regardless of family income, aiming to improve health, concentration, and academic performance, as seen with the UK's Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) for early years, with broader plans to expand eligibility for low-income families.
While most common in the UK (England, London, Wales, Scotland have their own schemes), the concept promotes equal access to healthy food for every child, with families encouraged to still apply for income-based benefits that offer extra school funding (Pupil Premium) or support for other costs like uniforms.
Free School Meals
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Depending on your financial circumstances, your child may be entitled to free school meals. This means that all school meals will be paid for. We offer a wide choice everyday of hot school dinner, vegetarian option, jacket potato or picnic bag. We also have a salad bar for the children to help themselves with. If you think you may be entitled to 'Free School Meals' then please speak to our friendly office staff or you can apply online. The following information may be useful...
Fresh meals with nutiritional value
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Our meals are cooked fresh, from scratch and onsite everyday and adhere to strict nutritional guidelines and values. We want our children to eat well and feed their brains and bodies so that they can flourish at school.
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We rotate a three week menu that is varied and reviewed by school and Harrisons on a regular basis to reflect what is popular with the children and parents.
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It is important to us that the children have choice and autonomy and so we have a fresh salad bar everyday for all children to help themselves with.
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Everyday there is a choice of hot meal, vegetarian option (hot), picnic bag or jacket potato with a variety of fillings.​
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Parents can order meals daily via the parentmail app – instructions for this are sent to parents when they join the school or you can speak to someone at the office to help set this up for you.
Allergies and special
dietary requirements
At Long Lane Primary School, we take allergies, intolerances and dietary requirements very seriously and work closely with families to help keep children safe and well in school. We understand that every child’s needs may be different, and we can accommodate this in a number of ways, including careful planning, clear communication with staff and separate preparation or cooking of meals where required. We are also able to cater for religious, cultural and other dietary requirements, and we aim to make sure that all children can enjoy school meals safely and confidently. If your child has an allergy, intolerance or specific dietary requirement, please come and speak to us so that we can understand their needs and agree the best arrangements together.
We want to be inclusive of everyone's needs and this includes adapting and supporting any special dietary requirements. Whether this is choice (vegetarian), related to allergies or religious observance we want to make sure there is something for you. Please speak to our friendly office staff if your child needs any adaptions with their diet.
We liaise directly with Harrisons to ensure that all legislation, health and safety requirements are adhered to so that you can be assured that your child is kept safe and given what they need.
In the hall, this is monitored by the catering staff and checked off securely by our lunchtime supervisor. As parents order their child's food via parentmail, this gives a further level of reassurance.
Relaxed, chatty, social dining!
We value lunchtime as a vital part of socialising with friends, relaxing and learning how to be with others.​ Although we have high expectations of our children and want them to learn how to eat well with others, we also understand that this is a time for them to relax and reflect, plan and enjoy time with their friends. We don't specify where children sit in the hall and for some, who prefer a quieter environment, adaptions can be made to support this.
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Our children collect their food independently and are expected to dispose of any food waste and clear their table before they leave.​ Our 'lunch buddies' from Year 6 support the younger children with this and help generally around the hall. Lunches are staggered for each class – with the younger children eating first. Those attending clubs or events can eat around this.
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We are keen for our children not to miss any part of their lunchtime waiting around so everyone is either outside playing or eating their lunch (classes are called in one by one) and as long as children are finished, they are not expected to wait and can go straight out to play.
You are welcome to join us...
We welcome parents who would like to come and see our children in action having lunch.
Please speak to the office if you wish to experience this.
Healthy Food, Behaviour
and Concentration in Children
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At Long Lane, we recognise that what children eat and drink can make a real difference to how they feel, learn and manage the school day. Food is not the only factor linked to behaviour or concentration, but a balanced diet, regular meals and good hydration can support children’s energy levels, mood, attention and readiness to learn. Government guidance on school food highlights the importance of nutritious meals across the school day, and the Department for Education’s updated School Food Standards focus on increasing fruit, vegetables and whole-grains while reducing foods high in fat, salt and sugar.
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A healthy, balanced diet means eating a variety of foods over the day or week, rather than trying to make every single meal perfect. The NHS Eatwell Guide recommends plenty of fruit and vegetables, starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes, bread, rice or pasta, some beans, pulses, fish, eggs, meat or other proteins, and dairy or alternatives. Foods and drinks that are high in fat, salt and sugar are not needed as part of a healthy balanced diet and should be eaten less often and in smaller amounts. For children over two, the Eatwell Guide can help families think about balance, while still adapting meals to suit culture, preference, medical needs and individual circumstances.
Regular eating patterns are also important. Children often concentrate better when they have had breakfast, lunch and appropriate snacks rather than long gaps without food or constant grazing. A steady routine can help children arrive at school ready to learn, avoid becoming over-hungry, and manage their emotions more successfully. Healthier breakfast ideas might include porridge, wholegrain cereal, toast, yoghurt, fruit, eggs or beans on toast. Healthy snacks such as fruit, vegetables, toast, yoghurt or crackers can also help children maintain energy without relying on high-sugar foods. The NHS also advises that children should drink regularly, with water being a good everyday choice.
At Long Lane, our aim is to work positively and respectfully with families. We encourage healthy choices because they can support concentration, behaviour, wellbeing and learning, but we also understand that every child and family is different. If your child has dietary, medical, religious, sensory or SEND-related needs that affect food at school, please speak to your child’s class teacher or a member of the Senior Leadership Team so that we can work together on a supportive and realistic approach.
Frequently Asked Questions about our Food Provision
At Long Lane, we understand that providing school meals for many different families, with different needs, tastes, traditions and dietary requirements, can be challenging. We work closely with Harrison’s to meet the needs of our pupils, families and school community, while also promoting a healthy, balanced diet across the school. As well as making sure that food is nutritious (Harrison’s follow the School Food Standards guidelines), enjoyable and within budget, we are always trying to find the right balance between meals children will eat and the choices families would like to see. We meet with Harrison’s regularly to review our menus, maintain good standards, ensure there is plenty of variety and offer a wide range of options.
Our daily salad and fruit bar, which children can choose from independently, along with our choice of puddings and main meal options, including vegetarian meals, picnic bags, meat options and jacket potatoes with a range of fillings, are all very popular. We also cater carefully for allergies and other dietary requirements, and we are mindful of making alternative meals as similar as possible to the options available to other children.
We also understand that food and diet have close links with concentration, focus and brain development. We actively teach are children about healthy eating through curriculum opportunities particularly in PSHE and Science. We also include healthy eating and exercise into our assemblies through Mental Health weeks, health weeks and workshops provided by outside professionals.
Here are some FAQ’s answered —
How are meals prepared and provided?
All our meals are prepared from scratch on site and food is sourced from ethical and reputable places. Harrisons control the foods on offer and where they are sourced. We regularly feedback the popularity and quality of food to Harrisons.
What proportion of meals are freshly cooked from whole ingredients?
All our meals and puddings are cooked from scratch, alongside the Food Standards guidelines for schools. All breads, pastries and cakes or biscuits are cooked fresh the same day by our resident cook.
How are the menus put together to ensure variety and nutritious value?
The school works with Harrison’s and are resident cook to ensure that there is variety in the food that we serve and that it has nutritional value. Salt and sugar contents are kept to a minimum and processed foods are avoided if possible.
What vegetables and fruit are on offer everyday?
The school ensures that there are different vegetables served with the meals everyday, including added to the Jacket potato option. The daily salad and fruit bar, that is self service, is beautifully presented and encompasses a wide variety such as; tomatoes, carrot sticks, cucumber, pineapple, melon, apple, and much more. Children are not restricted as to how much they can take.
How do you ensure that desserts maintain healthy standards and are suitable for a number of dietary needs?
Our deserts are made from scratch on site and follow the nutritional food standards for schools. This means that they contain less sugar and salt than regular home made, shop bought or processed desserts. We do provide gluten free or dairy free alternatives that match the desserts on offer for everyone else and sometimes we are able to make all the desserts without gluten and dairy. Organic yoghurts and fruit are on offer every day as an alternative. Many children choose these options.
How do we consider pupils with SEND or medical need?
We always put our children at the heart of everything we do and so naturally neurodivergent pupils needs are considered in the food that we provide and the way we provide it. We do this in a number of ways:
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Children have therapeutic options for seating if they are finding the dinner hall difficult or challenging. We talk to the children about what they may be struggling with and make reasonable adjustments accordingly.
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The menu has an element of predictability which most children prefer in order to make them feel safe and secure with their eating habits.
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Sauces are always optional – as is gravy, custard and anything that may constitute a texture preference.
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Sensory needs are supported where possible and children sometimes have variations of the food on offer – for instance plain jacket potato or separated food trays (all infants have these as standard).
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Salad and fruit bar presents element of choice and independence.
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Variety of puddings to choose from – two of which are daily.
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Safe foods such as bread, salad, and plain pasta are offered as additional foods on the salad bar.
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Our ongoing work with PALS (Parents as Liaisons with School)
At Long Lane we are committed to providing our children with the best possible meals and variety and so we have been working with our parent representatives to support the improvement of our school dinners offer. Aside from what we already do (stated above), we have also:
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Changed potato options to healthier ones from pupil and parent feedback.
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Changed the vegetables so that there is more variety – vegetable of the day.
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Reviewed the menus (we do this anyway) based on feedback.
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Created more variety of puddings and changed some puddings according to taste.
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Changed the menus to include more information about the salad bar and other options – stating the vegetables provided with each meal.
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Planned a child survey to support any further changes.