All lunches are to be eaten in the main hall. Our menus are published each week in the school newsletter. Please go through the menu each week with your child so they can make a choice they will eat. Please make sure that the school is informed of any changes to dietary requirements/allergies that may affect your child.
Packed lunches can be sent in from home. These can be in a reusable lunchbox or bag. Please ensure this is cleaned regularly.
School meals are free for Early Years and KS1 but KS2 will need to pay using Parentmail. If you think you qualify for free school meals then please make an application through Suffolk County Council using this link:
School Dinners
Gusford use 'Eativerse' to provide school dinners to pupils.
A cashless cafeteria system is used and payment can be made by ‘Parentmail’. Parents can pay a week, month or a term in advance.
Menus are updated on a termly basis; they are published in the weekly newsletter and are also available in the school office if needed.
Packed Lunch
Provision is made for children to bring their own packed lunch. Water and beakers are provided. Children are not permitted (for safety reasons) to bring tins, glass bottles or fizzy drinks. As the school has ‘Healthy Schools’ status we encourage parents to provide a healthy packed lunch for their child and therefore avoid large quantities of chocolate biscuits, etc. as this does affect some children’s behaviour in the afternoon. Bars of chocolate and sweets are not allowed for packed lunch.
Visit this website to get lots of easy-to-prepare ideas your children will love, as well as tips on what else to put in their lunchbox www.nhs.uk/change4life/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes
Nuts in Packed Lunches
I am sure that many parents are aware that some children suffer extreme allergic reaction to nuts. This can result in death, if airways are blocked as a result of swelling in the throat. As we have some children who suffer from this reaction, we request all parents not to put items containing nuts into their child’s packed lunches (eg. Peanut butter sandwiches, bags of peanuts or mixed nuts).
Break Time Snacks
As part of our approach to health education the school has adopted a healthy eating policy. Children are only allowed to bring in fresh fruit to eat during morning break time. This must be stored separately from packed lunch, as children will not have access to their packed lunch box during break time.
Universal Free School Meals and Free School Meals for Years 3-6
Since the introduction in 2014 of the Government’s Universal Free School Meals initiative, all Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children have been entitled to a free meal at lunchtime. However, if you receive any of the below you may be eligible to receive Free School Meals for children in Years 3 to 6 and be able to receive additional help with reduced fees for clubs and support with school uniform and purchasing other necessary equipment for all children regardless of their year group.
- 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 not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
It is therefore very beneficial to officially register for Free School Meals/Pupil Premium regardless of which year your child is in. If parents register for Free School Meals for their child, the school is able to claim Pupil Premium which helps us to provide additional support for them. It is really important that parents who meet the criteria (detailed above) register for Free School Meals and thereby Pupil Premium, to help our school secure this additional funding.
If after having read the criteria above you feel you are eligible, please follow the following online link
Apply online for free school meals
Please also see our Pupil Premium School Policy for more details.
You can see the Spring Term menu 24-25 in our school newsletter