School Meals

Frequently Asked Questions

Only complete the application form if you are a Tameside Resident

• Why choose school meals?
• How do I pay for my child's meals?
• Free School Meals
• How do I apply for free school meals?
• How often do I have to apply?
• How is it paid?
• What if my circumstances change?
• Special diets 
• What is Tameside doing to improve my child's diet?
• What are the benefits of my child having a school meal?
• What's New
• What can parents/guardians do to help?

Why choose school meals?

• School meals offer a selection of freshly cooked main meals and desserts every day, often including pasta, salad, fresh fruit and yoghurt. And only £1.70 a day.
• All meals are nutritionally balanced over the course of one week and are served by friendly and cheerful catering staff. Children can sit down together and enjoy their meal whilst at the same time developing social skills of eating together that are so important in later life.
• A well fed and happy child is more likely to be receptive to participating in the afternoon's activities.
• Convenience. Someone else preparing and cooking lunch for your child saves you worrying about a packed meal every day.

How do I pay for my child's meals?

You can now pay for your school meals on-line here using a credit/debit card.

You can also pay by cheque at any of our In Touch Customer Service Centres or by cash at Ashton Customer Services.

You can also pay by sending dinner money into school on a weekly basis. The school will advise which day of the week is most convenient (usually each Monday).

Free School Meals

Free school meals are offered to children of families who are in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related), Income Support, Income Based Job Seekers Allowance or Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit. They are also offered to children of families who are in receipt of Child Tax Credit only, but who are not entitled to Working Tax Credit, and whose annual income (as assessed by the Inland Revenue) does not exceed £16,040. If you are in receipt of Child Tax Credit, you will need to attend one of the council's Customer Service Centres and present your Child Tax Credit award notice.

How do I apply for free school meals?

There are now 3 easy ways to apply for free school meals:

• complete the on-line application form
• telephone the council's call centre on 0161 342 8355
• in person at one of the council's Customer Services Offices

If you apply on-line before 11am and we can validate your claim, your child(ren) will receive a free school meal on the same day.

The on-line form can be completed directly by you only if you are in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (Income Based) or the Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit.

How often do I have to apply?

You should apply when you first start to receive benefit. You will receive automatic notification when your application is due for renewal.

How is it paid?

High School children receive tokens to purchase their midday meals at school on a weekly basis. Primary School children are simply marked into the dinner register, whether free or paid meals, and receive a school meal each day.

What if my circumstances change?

You should notify the school and also the Education Welfare Department of any changes :-

• if you start work and come off benefit
• if you change address
• if your child changes school

Special diets

We are happy to accommodate medical or cultural diets; for example, halal provision is available at a small number of schools within the borough meeting the required criteria. Please let your school know if your child has been prescribed a medical diet and we will liaise with you, the school and the dietician. Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us so that we can help your child enjoy their lunch.

What is Tameside doing to improve my child's diet?

Each of our school kitchens have been credited with the 'Healthy Choice Award' by the Community Dieticians from bronze and silver, through to gold. We are also the only School Meals Service within the Greater Manchester area to have been awarded accreditation by Hospitality Assured for all aspects of our service.

All our staff are fully trained in all aspects of Food Hygiene, Health and Safety, Customer Care, Nutrition plus many other areas.

We believe that there is no nutritional value in a meal that is simply thrown away, no matter how good the ingredients may be at the start. We work very hard to strike the balance between providing nutritionally balanced, quality meals and value for money to satisfy the energy needs of children.

Here are some of the ways we plan our menus:

• We currently offer a 3 choice menu in all schools every day - 1 home-made meal, 1 vegetarian choice plus one other
• All menus meet the Food Based and Nutrient Based Standards for School Lunches. Menus may be subject to alteration owing to delivery or other problems.
• We work with suppliers to source low fat, low salt and low sugar alternatives.
• We also offer two choices of carbohydrate each day, including pasta and rice.
• Chips and Roast Potatoes are each currently only served once per week. No other products on the menu are deep fried
• Two vegetables plus one salad choice is available each day
• Dessert choices each day include 1 hot dessert, 1 cold dessert, fresh-fruit and yoghurt
• Drinks each day include water, fruit juice and milk.
• Our kitchen staff work in partnership with the Headteacher to ensure that the Menu is 'tailored' to the needs of their customers
• The Foundation Menu is displayed on the councils web-site for inspection by any person
• We work with parents and dieticians to provide special diets where necessary.

What are the benefits of my child having a school meal?

• Provides a balanced meal which improves concentration and learning in the afternoon.
• Introduces your child to a wide range of foods
• Children can sit down at a table together and enjoy a meal, whilst at the same time developing the social skills of eating together.
• Saves parents valuable time, money and energy in preparing packed lunches. Many packed lunches are very high in fat, sugar and additives.

What's New

Feedback we receive from parents says you want us to carry on promoting healthy eating. It is our policy to 'encourage' our customers to take a balanced diet through a wide range of initiatives, including:

• Self-service Salad Bars have been introduced into the majority of schools where children can help themselves to a range of salad and fresh fruit in addition to their two course meal. Each day 6 salad options are available ranging from grated carrot to pasta salad, pluis a selection of fresh fruit.
• Where counter space allows, Milk Dispensers have been introduced into school kitchens where children can help themselves to ice cold milk as part of their school meal each day.
• We have worked in partnership with Dental Health, Community Dietician and Community Health Workers to produce a generic School Food Policy for Tameside schools.
• Parents of new starters are encouraged to join us for a school meal.
• The School Food Trust was established by the Department for Education and Skills in September 2005. Its remit is to transform school food and food skills, promote the education and health of children and young people and improve the quality of food in schools. They are currently working with schools and catering providers in a number of ways. Further information can be found at:
  http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/index.asp 

What can parents/guardians do to help?

We all want children to have an open mind to food and our menus are designed to tempt children of all ages to try new foods. You could help us by encouraging your children to try different foods, including vegetables and by re-emphasising the importance of eating a varied and balanced meal.

If you would like to see the service 'first hand' why not join us? Call the HR Support Team on 0161 342 2553 and request an application form for Casual Catering Assistant.

If you have any queries about the meals we provide or other aspects of the service, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Enquiries regarding Free School Meals:

Education Welfare, Tameside MBC, Council Offices, Wellington Road, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 6DL
0161 342 8355  0161 342 2299 Send a Message to Free School Meals

Enquiries regarding School Catering:

Primary School Catering, New Charter Building (Annex 1), Globe Lane Industrial Estate, Outram Road, Dukinfield SK16 4XP
0161 342 5362 0161 343 8358 Send a Message to School Catering