School Meals

All children from Reception to Year 6 will be entitled to Universal Free School Meals from September 2024.

We run our menus on a 3-week cycle. The menus are at the bottom of this page:

Our school milk scheme

• Did you know our school has a school milk scheme? By registering your child for our school milk scheme they will receive a 189ml (third of a pint) carton of semi-skimmed milk every day. This is delivered fresh and chilled to their classroom every day.

“How much does it cost?”

• Thanks to government subsidies, school milk is free for all under-5s and is subsided at around £15 a term for children aged 5 or older.

“Why should I register my child?”

• School milk provides your child with essential nutrients such as calcium and protein, for strong, healthy teeth and bones. It is also rehydrating and energy boosting, helping to bridge the long gap between breakfast and lunch so children stay focused.

“How do I register my child?”

• If your child is under 5 years of age:

1. Go to www.coolmilk.com.
2. Just register by a Tuesday for your child’s free milk to start the following week.
3. Free milk will continue until the Friday before your child’s fifth birthday. You will receive a payment request three weeks before this time- if you wish for your child to continue to receive school milk, simply make a payment.

• If your child is over 5 years of age:

1. Go to www.coolmilk.com.
2. Pay Cool Milk online, over the phone, at a local PayPoint or by cheque in installments to suit you. If you register online, you can pay straight away. If using a registration form you will need to wait to receive a payment request.
3. Just pay by a Tuesday for your child’s milk to start the following week.

Visit www.coolmilk.com or contact Cool Milk directly on 0844 854 2913.

Preston Manor has a cashless catering system. The canteen system enables us to deliver a more efficient, faster service and to continue to have wholesome, healthy, and enjoyable meals at the lowest cost. The system is based on biometric finger patterns or pin numbers.

What is a Cashless System?

This is a system that incorporates the latest technology and eliminates the need to carry cash throughout the day. All students will be given training on how to use the system. As well as being able to recognise each individual student and member of staff, the system can hold individual balances and record what food has been purchased on any specific date and time of day.

How are students recognised by the system?

The system will be based on biometric finger patterns and our supplier follows Government and BECTA guidelines with regard to data protection. Each student will have their fingerprint registered which will then be translated into an alphanumeric number after which the image is discarded. Please complete the attached consent form. However, the school will offer a pin number for families who do not wish to use the biometric system.

How is this used to obtain a school meal & drink?

The student or member of staff simply places their finger on a scanner at the point of sale; a display will show the name and current balance held within the system. The selected food and drink items will be entered into the system from an itemised keyboard while the amount spent, and the new balance will show on the display.

How is money entered into the system?

(a) ParentPay: ParentPay offers parents the freedom to top-up their child’s account quickly and easily with a debit or credit card. All parents will have a secure online account which is accessed with a unique user ID and password.

An electronic record of the payments can be viewed online at any time. We would encourage as many parents as possible to use this convenient method. CLICK HERE to go to the ParentPay website.

(b) PayPoint: at local stores for parents who prefer to continue using cash, they can top up their child’s account at any PayPoint store. Cash will not be accepted anywhere at school. If you wish to find the nearest store to your home, please follow link https://www.paypoint.com/

The school will get extra government funding for every child registered as eligible for a free school meal if their parents receive benefits. This funding is to support learning and is called the ‘pupil premium’.

Students in the Upper School could be eligible for free school meals if their parents receive any of the following types of benefit:

• Universal Credit – if your annual net earned income is no more than £7,400 (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re also not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.

Young people who receive income support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance in their own right are also entitled to free school meals.

All children in households with no recourse to public funds are entitled to Free School Meals, subject to maximum income thresholds.

Pupil Premium

Schools receive extra government funding for every child registered as eligible for a free school meal if their parents receive benefits.

This can be up to £1,320 per pupil.

If your child goes to a Brent primary or secondary school, and you get benefits, it is very important that you fill in an application form for a free school meal.

For further information please visit: www.brent.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals