At Newcomen Primary School we are committed to promoting a healthy lifestyle. The Every Child Matters agenda is central to the work we do here in our school.
Promoting a healthy life style is integral to our curriculum and we recognise the importance of offering children the opportunity to make informed choices about what , when, where and why they eat.
We appreciate that food is fundamental to the quality of a child’s life; not just in providing essential nutrition but in communicating and sharing positive values, attitudes and experiences with each other.
We believe that adults (staff, parents and carers) should be good role models and should support the children in understanding how balanced nutrition contributes to a person’s health, happiness and general well – being.
We recognise the important connection between a healthy, balanced diet and a child’s ability to learn effectively and achieve high standards in school.
We support the Local Authority Healthy Schools Initiative and are proud to have gained the enhanced Healthy Schools Award. We also hold the Active Mark which is given for outstanding provision of Physical Education.
All children in foundation stage and Key Stage One receive fruit every day. This is funded through the National Fruit Scheme by the DFE. We also provide all our children with an individual water bottle which can be refilled as necessary to ensure hydration levels are maintained.
Healthy School Meals
Meals are freshly prepared daily and offer well balanced options. School meals are based on a selection of healthy hot meals or a choice at the salad bar. School meals are £2.50 per day. Children have a choice of at least 3 main courses and a choice of desert including fruit and yoghurt.
Payment for the school meals are made via ParentMail. Please contact the office and they will be more than happy to provide you with any information you may require.
Please remember to give two weeks notice to the office staff if your child wants to change from school meals to packed lunches or vice versa. If you feel that your child may qualify for free school meals, an application form is available from the school office. Claims cannot be backdated so it is essential to return the form promptly.
We are committed to providing a welcoming eating environment that encourages the positive social and cultural interaction of children. The school will aim to provide a calm, orderly environment conducive to good behaviour and mutual respect.
- Children will be encouraged to develop good eating skills and table manners at lunch time and will be given plenty of time to eat. They will also be encouraged to eat their main course first as a matter of good eating habits.
- Children are always encouraged to try a wide range of foods at lunchtimes to develop a taste for a greater variety of foods and achieve a balanced diet.
- Should we become aware of any child not enjoying their meal, we will endeavour to inform parents and carers.
- The children will be encouraged to demonstrate good manners.
- The children will be encouraged to eat the food they have chosen to avoid waste and also to appreciate how fortunate we are to have enough food to eat compared to other less fortunate societies.
An update on Natasha’s Law from Mellor’s Catering Services- Our schools chosen catering provider
In October 2021 new labelling legislation comes into force (Natasha’s Law). The legislation states that all food service organisations serving food that is packaged on site for immediate consumption will have to display ingredient and allergen information.
At Mellor’s Catering Services we are working hard behind the scenes ahead of this change to ensure:
- Our catering teams are fully trained on Natasha’s Law and the update in legislation
- We can still confidently provide fresh food that is made and packaged daily on site
- We have tight kitchen practices and controls in place to safely label goods
- We have strong links with our supply chain to allow our team of nutritionist to centrally manage ingredient and allergen substitutes from head office. Relieving pressure from our onsite catering managers and teams
- We have invested in our labelling software to ensure our labels and packaged goods look professional and adhere to legislative requirements
Healthy Packed Lunches
If you decide to send your child with a packed lunch, please help us to promote healthy eating. Please avoid food containing additives and colourings. No fizzy drinks are allowed to be brought in. We encourage children to take home what they don’t eat so parents and carers can monitor their child’s eating habits.
Redcar and Cleveland Free School Meals
