William Patten Primary School
Stoke Newington Church Street
London N16 0NX
Office Manager: Rita Quigley
SENDCo: Caitlin Shaw
In order to plan ahead and to ensure that much less food is wasted, we will need all children to either be packed lunches OR school dinners for the entire term. This will allow Ali to plan very carefully how much food to buy and will enable 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. We try to support local traders as much as possible and buy all our fish, chicken, fruit and vegetables locally.
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 restarted our 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.
Following an announcement from the Mayor of London, from September 2023 all state funded primary school children in London will be entitled to a free school meal for the full academic year.
Your child will receive 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.
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:
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
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.