We pride ourselves on our school meals at William Patten and are fortunate to have an experienced chef Ali and a caring team of kitchen assistants. Please see our lovely lunch menu below.

We are pleased to announce that the company selected to provide our menus is Caterlink, a specialist education catering company that supplies school meals to schools in Camden and Islington.

The Year 5 School Council members have been actively involved in the decision making and I would like to thank Alaa, Grace, Niccolo and Matiu for their contributions throughout the process. They have taken their roles very seriously, offering insightful suggestions and at the same time showing and demonstrating considerable diplomacy! The children attended the initial tasting session by the different companies and their opinions were invaluable in helping us choose the best provider. Once the final menus were submitted, the children reviewed them carefully and based on their feedback, some changes were made to enhance the menu. We are now excited to share the final version with you. We hope the children will enjoy the variety and choices available.

The new menu will feature freshly made bread each day, a hydration station, and a salad bar. There are jacket potatoes served daily, as well as fresh fruit and yoghurt. Caterlink also accommodates dietary requirements, providing meals for children who are vegan, gluten-free, or have specific allergies.

I have also attached the halal certification for your reference.

In the summer term, Caterlink will host a tasting session for parents, where you will have the opportunity to sample the menu and ask any questions you may have. We look forward to welcoming you to this event.

There are no changes to the expectations for a packed lunch. If your child currently has a packed lunch and wishes to change to the new school dinners, please email admin@williampatten.hackney.sch.uk. If this is the case, then your child would need to stay on school dinners for the half term at least. They can of course continue for longer if they enjoy the new meals!

Best wishes

Karen

WP Caterlink Spring Summer 2025 with dates

WP Caterlink Spring Summer 2025 picture menu with dates

Gluten free William Patten Menu Spring Summer 2025

William Patten Menu – Summer 2025

Halal certificate – Annual Certificate – IMS of Smithfield

In order to plan ahead and to ensure that less food is wasted, we need all children to either be packed lunches or school dinners for an entire half term. This allows Ali to plan very carefully how much food to buy and enables him to purchase more in bulk or source from different suppliers.

Meals are cooked on the premises and we work constantly to make sure our meals are healthy, fresh and tasty.
Children are consulted about the menus via the School Council and any suggestions used to inform our planning.

We do not cook beef or pork, and the chicken we cook is halal. We always have a vegetarian option on the menu and have increased the number of vegan meals we serve. The children eat in the first floor hall and are supervised by meal supervisors. Children are encouraged to eat a balanced meal and try small amounts of new food.

We have a yearly ‘Come Dine With Us’ days for the three Keystages (EYFS, KS1 and KS2) when parents can come in to school and eat with their children to see how excellent the food is. Due to covid restrictions we were unable to host this event for the last few years.

We have a special Christmas dinner at the end of the Autumn term and a special Chinese New Year lunch in the Spring term. To celebrate Hispanic week, we have a Spanish themed menu in June and themed menus throughout the month for Black History as well as embeded throughout the main menu. Children who usually have packed lunches are welcome to have these special themed meals.

Universal Free School Meals

Following an announcement from the Mayor of London, from September 2023 all state funded primary school children in London are entitled to a free school meal for the full academic year.

Your child receives their free school meals automatically, and you do not need to apply.

However, your child may also be eligible for extra funding for school from the Government, worth £1,300 per year. This is extra money to spend on enrichment activities, teacher development, and targeted support for the children that need it most. This may also entitle you to other benefits like food vouchers during the holidays.

For funding purposes we would encourage all parents to register by completing an application form even if your child does not wish to receive school meals.

Please click here to register 

Packed lunches

If your child has a packed lunch from home, please ensure it is healthy and nutritious.

According to NHS choices a balanced lunchbox should contain:

• Starchy foods like bread (or bagel/wrap), rice, potatoes or pasta
• Protein foods like meat, fish, eggs or beans
• A dairy item, like cheese or yogurt
• Vegetables or salad and a portion of fruit

Please DO NOT include: drinks with added sugar, chocolate, biscuits or sweets in any form.

A small packet of crisps will be allowed on FRIDAY ONLY.

For ideas on healthy packed lunch options visit:

https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes/

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/school-packed-lunch-inspiration

https://realfood.tesco.com/curatedlist/lunchbox-ideas-for-kids.html

https://education.hackney.gov.uk/content/recipes-healthy-and-affordable-food

Fruit scheme

The children in Nursery, Reception and Years 1 and 2 receive fruit every day, as part of the government’s free fruit scheme for children under the age of seven.