School Meals
Message regarding Free School Meals, from Central Bedfordshire Council and the ending of Transitional Protection HERE.
HCL offers tasty, balanced healthy food to help children learn and develop, on a three weekly menu cycle. They also offer an award winning ordering and payment system from ‘School Grid’, featuring cashless payment options for parents. Orders and payments will be made by the parent from home, online. You can order as few or as many as you want, for when you want.
Please find below some FAQ’s. New parents will receive their login details just prior to their child starting with us.
Menu: HCL Summer Menu
| My child has a food allergy, how will this be catered for and what do I need to do? | If your child has a food allergy you will need to apply for a special diet as soon as possible. Simply go to www.hcl.co.uk and click on the ‘Allergies’ tab at the top of the website and follow the instructions to apply for an allergy specialised meal for your child. |
| How do I order and pay for a lunch for my child? | You will need to log into your ‘SchoolGrid’ account to order meals and, if applicable, pay for them. If you are experiencing technical difficulties you can call SchoolGrid directly on 01506 300310.
If you have not booked a hot dinner for your child, we will expect that you will have supplied them with a packed lunch for the day. If you have not supplied a packed lunch, we will expect you to bring one into school before lunchtime. We are unable to book dinners on your behalf. |
| Do I still need to order a meal for my child if my child is entitled to a Free School Meal or Universal Infant Free School Meal? | Yes. You will still need to order your child’s food choices through the SchoolGrid website. |
| How often can I make a menu choice? | Our current manual system means that you cannot make menu changes after the first 3 week cycle in a term has passed, and meals have to be booked in advance. However, with our new supplier you can make your menu choices as often as you would like. The parent is in control of ordering their child foods, with their child. Parents will be able to order a meal for their child up to 8.50am on any given day, for that day. |
| Will HCL still accept cash or cheque? | We are moving to a cashless ordering system so HCL cannot accept cash or cheque. |
| Why are deserts not listed on HCL menus? | Each day there will a choice between a delicious desert of the day, fruit, yoghurt or cheese and biscuits. |
Packed Lunches
Children can bring a packed lunch if preferred. The school encourages parents and carers to provide children with packed lunches that promote healthy eating. Please note that we are a nut avoidance school. Please do not bring any items into school that contain nuts (this includes items such as chocolate spread and chocolate pancakes (many of which contain nuts)).
Click here to find useful ways of getting more veg into your child’s lunchbox.
Guide to Free School Meals/Extra Support for Your Child & Meal Price Increases from January 2027.
We know the rules around free school meals can sometimes feel a bit confusing, so we want to break down how everything works and explain how applying can bring extra support to your child and our school.
The Two Different Schemes
First, it helps to know that there are two completely separate free school meal programs:
- Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM): Every single child in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 automatically gets a free hot lunch at school. You do not need to apply for this, and household income doesn't matter.
- Benefit-Related Free School Meals (FSM): This is a specific scheme for families who receive certain government benefits. Even if your child already gets a meal through UIFSM, you can and should still apply for benefit-related FSM if you think you qualify.
Why Applying Makes a Big Difference (Pupil Premium)
When you apply and qualify for Benefit-Related FSM, the government gives our school extra funding called Pupil Premium.
This funding stays with our school to help your child directly. It covers things like extra targeted teaching, learning resources, help with school trip costs, uniform support, and access to holiday activity programs. It is a valuable resource for your child and the school.
The Two Benefit-Related Free School Meals (FSM) Categories:
- Targeted FSM: For families on Universal Credit earning £7,400 or less a year (or on other qualifying benefits). Your child gets free meals, and the school receives Pupil Premium funding to support them.
- Expanded FSM: For working families on Universal Credit earning above £7,400 a year. Your child gets free meals, and the school also receives Pupil Premium funding and access to extra support for your child.
Notice of School Meal Price Increase - From January 2027
For children who pay for their school meals (those not receiving UIFSM or Benefit-Related FSM), please note that the price of a school meal will be increasing from £2.80 to £3.00 starting in January 2027.
We fully appreciate that any price increase at this time is difficult for families. This decision was not made lightly. We are increasing the price strictly in line with cost adjustments from our catering contractor. We supply these meals at cost. If you think you might qualify for benefit-related meals, applying before this price increase takes effect can help lower your daily household costs.
What Do I ned to do now?
If you think you are eligible please apply directly through Central Bedfordshire Council. Checking if you qualify is quick, completely confidential, and takes just a couple of minutes:
- Call Central Bedfordshire Council:0300 300 8000.
- Information to have ready: Your National Insurance number (or NASS number) and your date of birth.
If you have any questions or would like confidential support with making an application, please pop into the school office for a chat—we are always here to help!
