As part of the Lambeth Schools Consortium, our caterers are Harrisons. Food is cooked onsite daily from scratch in our extremely large kitchen. Harrisons have been chosen as caterers because they are committed to producing lunches which are even more nutritious and sustainable than the previous caterers. Please read some information for parents shared by Harrisons at the end of the summer term.
The Regional Area Manager from our previous caterers recently visited us and was amazed how much the children ate, compared to the other 40 or so schools she oversaw… particularly the vegetables! She was also very impressed with their politeness.
School Meals Menu
Here is our ‘autumn and winter’ menu which we will be using from September 2026 until spring half term in February 2027.
We have been taking photos of this new three week menu so that children can see what is for lunch as they line up each day. Here’s where we put it up in school:
Following feedback at a coffee morning, we are also sharing all of the daily photos for you to see at home.
New Dining Hall Equipment
Here are our new flavoured water dispensers. Each day the children can enjoy fruit flavours to encourage them to drink more water at lunchtime. This will have a positive impact on their brains for more learning in the afternoon!
Each day, children can enjoy a different flavoured water as well as plain water. School councillors invited children to suggest possible flavours and all Year 1 to Year 6 children (who use the top dining hall) voted for their favourite five. Here is the three-week flavour schedule that councillors have created with the five flavours that were chosen:
School councillors will also be considering ways to incorporate the fruits children grow in our school garden areas including strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, loganberries and gooseberries.
Universal Free School Meals and the London Mayor’s Free School Meals
The government currently provides all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 with ‘Universal Free School Meals’. The Mayor of London will also fund all Years 3, 4, 5 & 6 children in London to receive free school meals. However, Heathbrook can benefit from an extra £1,320 of government Pupil Premium funding each year if you are receiving certain welfare benefits. We ask all parents to complete this form to help Heathbrook to continue to be as well-funded as possible.
Families of Nursery children who are not eligible for Free School Meals need to pay £2.80 per day for the cost of a dinner.
Packed Lunches
[Please note that, now every child from Reception up to Year 6 is eligible for free schools meals, they can opt to have all or part of a school meal even if they bring in a packed lunch. ‘Part’ of a meal could be freshly cooked bread, a choice of salads from the salad bar and/or a pudding, including fruit and yoghurt.]
We are committed to healthy living and consistent learning throughout the day. The NHS have clear guidelines for both school meals and packed lunches.
Our governors and school councillors have agreed to support pupils to only eat foods with low levels of sugar, saturated fat and salt if they choose to have packed lunches or need to for particular reasons. As a result, they have decided that juice drinks, sweets and crisps do not constitute part of a healthy packed lunch.
A healthy packed lunch needs to include a range of different food groups:
- Starch – from bread, pitta bread, potatoes, rice or noodles
- Protein – from meat, fish, beans, eggs, tofu or Quorn
- Calcium – from cheese or yoghurt
- Vitamins and minerals – from vegetables and fruits.
Water is always available on the tables at lunchtimes, so children having a packed lunch do not need to bring their own drink.
Please note that due to allergies we are a nut-free school so please do not bring any nuts or sesame products into school. This includes items such as hummus, pesto and nut butters or spreads.
Occasionally your child’s year group may be asked to avoid an additional allergen if there is an enhanced risk of anaphylaxis for a pupil in that cohort.
Please do not hesitate to contact a member of senior staff if you want to find out more about school meals or would like to try one for free.