School Lunches
We have very flexible lunch arrangements at Barrington, and children can tell us each day at morning registration whether they will be having a packed lunch or a hot school dinner.
Hot school dinner
Independent Catering provide our school meals; their food complies with current standards, and provides children with the nutrition they need for the school day. Independent are able to cater for children with special dietary requirements by prior arrangement.
You can read more about Independent Catering by visiting their website at
https://www.independentcatering.co.uk/primary-schools
Click below to view the Summer Term 1 menu
Packed lunches
We encourage children to eat healthily at Barrington, so if you choose to provide a packed lunch for your child, please ensure it contains nutritious food, and no sweets or chocolate.
The Change 4 Life website has some useful ideas for packed lunches. For more information, go to www.nhs.uk/Change4Life.
We currently have several children in school with very severe allergies to nuts and other foods. For this reason, please ensure that if your child brings a packed lunch to school, it MUST NOT contain any nuts or nut products. Please also stress to your children the importance of not sharing or swapping food with anyone else at lunchtime.
Reception Class, Year 1 and Year 2
Under the government’s Universal Free School Meals scheme, from September 2014, all children in KS1 classes will be entitled to request a free hot lunch in school each day.
Years 3 to 6
If children in Years 3, 4, 5 or 6 require a hot school dinner, payment must be made on the day, or in advance.
The cost of a hot school lunch will be £2.50 from September 2020 (£12.50 a week), unless the child is eligible for free school meals based on the existing criteria.
We use SIMS Agora as our cashless payment system. This is very easy to use and will offer you the flexibility to make online payments whenever and wherever you like, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - safe in the knowledge that payments are secure and use the highest level of card security, funds will reach the school safely and you can check your balance at any time.
Free school meals and eligibility for Pupil Premium funding
Pupil Premium funding provides schools with extra money to help raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils from Reception class up to Year 11.
Many families in receipt of benefits are entitled to claim free school meals for their children, as well as a host of other benefits, including:
- Free or subsidised class visits
- Free or subsidised school journey place
- A laptop for use at home [2]
- Help with the costs of school uniform
- Free or subsidised membership of extra-curricular clubs
- Additional 1:2:1 support with maths/literacy etc (if appropriate) in school
To make sure your child doesn’t miss out on any of these opportunities, please speak to the school office staff if you currently claim any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- 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)
- Working Tax Credit run-on
- Universal Credit
Claiming is really quick and easy, so if you might be entitled, please talk to us. Remember, it can save you a lot of money and the school benefits too.
[2] A small refundable deposit payment is required
Healthy School
Barrington has been recognised as a 'Healthy School', but achieving National Healthy School status is just the beginning; like many other schools, we are using the Healthy Schools approach to bring about improvements in behaviour and attendance, self-esteem and wellbeing, and the physical health of the whole school community.
At Barrington, children are encouraged to bring a water bottle to school with them every day, and will always have access to fresh, cold water in school.
The children in Years R, 1 and 2 will be offered fresh fruit every day as part of the Fruit In Schools scheme.
We do not allow sweets in school. If children have a birthday and want to share a gift with their class we suggest that parents make a donation of a reading book for the class book corner. Suggestions for a book choice can be obtained from the class teacher.
