PARENTS
School Meals
At St Hugh’s, we work with ‘Food For Thought’ who are a not for profit school meals company owned by its partner schools. We provide a variety of seasonal hot and cold dishes for children to freely choose from. Fresh fruit, low-fat yoghurts, with homemade pudding are available every lunchtime.
All of our meat is sourced from local suppliers and we use free-range eggs and organic flour where possible. All our fruit and vegetables are locally sourced where possible. Halal options are available.
School Meals
School meals cost £10.00 per week, payable on Monday morning. If for some reason, you find yourself getting into financial difficulty, please speak with a member of the office staff as soon as possible. Autumn 1 Menu 26
Children in Years 3 – 6 can have a school meal or a packed lunch.
Catering Supplier’s Allergen Matrix
The allergen matrix provided by Food For Thought is based on the recipes, products and supplier information available at the time of publication and is correct to the best of their knowledge. It is intended as a guide only, as ingredients, products, supplier information and approved substitutions may change. Please always consult the latest version of the matrix on the Food For Thought website.
The matrix should not be relied upon as the sole means of determining whether a meal is suitable for a child with an allergy or dietary requirement. Please ensure the school is aware of any food allergies or dietary requirements affecting your child and always confirm allergen information with the School Cook before your child eats, so that the ingredients and products being used in the kitchen on that day, including any substitutions or changes, can be checked.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding allergens, please do not hesitate to contact or speak with us in the School Office.
Packed Lunch
If you decide to give your child a packed lunch, please follow the recommendations.
If you would like some ideas on what a Healthy Packed Lunch looks like.
Tips for a nutritious packed lunch
A Guide to a Healthy Packed Lunch
UNIVERSAL INFANT FREE SCHOOL MEALS AND FREE SCHOOL MEALS AND PUPIL PREMIUM
Is my child eligible for free school meals?
Children in Reception, year 1 and year 2
All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 get free school meals regardless of your income. Your school will write to you about this.
If you or your partner do receive one of the qualifying benefits listed below, please complete the online application form on this page so that your child’s school gets the extra funding known as the Pupil Premium.
What are the qualifying benefits?
If you or your partner receive any of the following benefits, you can apply.
-
Universal Credit - from 1st September 2026, all children living in households that receive Universal Credit are entitled to free school meals -
Income Support -
Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance -
Income related Employment Support Allowance -
Support under part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 -
The guaranteed part of State Pension Credit
If you’re a foster parent, you cannot apply for free school meals as you already receive funding.
Do I need to apply?
If you receive Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support and your child already gets free school meals, we will write to you in August 2026 to let you know if your child still qualifies. We’ll also tell you if you need to apply.
Before you apply
You must apply online for each child and will need to provide:
- Your National Insurance number, or
- Your National Asylum Support Service (NASS) number
We will use this to confirm your eligibility with the Department for Work and Pensions.
How to apply
Apply online via the Citizen Portal – you will already have an account if you have applied for a Reception or Year 7 place in the past.
If you don’t have an account, you can register for one. Not sure how to register? See our step-by-step guide to register for a Citizen Portal account.
Apply online – sign in or register for an account
Read our privacy notice, which tells you how we use your data
What happens next?
We will check your eligibility with the Department for Work and Pensions and inform your child’s school if you are eligible for free school meals.
If you have applied for free school meals and are still waiting for a decision, please show your child’s school evidence of your Universal Credit claim, such as a recent statement or award letter. The school will make sure your child receives a meal while your application is being processed.