Common queries
Source of meat
All the meat used in Nottinghamshire County Council school meals is provided fresh from a local butcher, Mike Maloney. You can view this information in more detail on our menu leaflets.
Vegetarian options
We cater for vegetarians in every school.
In schools where there is a
choice menu, there is a daily choice of a meat dish or a vegetarian
dish. These options can be seen on our menu leaflets that your child
will have brought home. If you have not seen a copy of the menu, they
can be viewed and downloaded from the current menu section of this site.
If your child's school operates on a traditional single choice menu or family service, you will need to contact the school
administration or Head Teacher. Once they have your child’s name and let
the kitchen know, a daily vegetarian meal can be prepared.
Special Diets and Allergies
We aim to ensure all pupils
have access to healthy school dinners regardless of any special requirements.
If your child’s diet does
not suit our menus due to any food allergies or intolerances, religious or
ethical beliefs please let us know so we can make alternative arrangements.
You will need to inform the
catering team by writing to:
Catering & Facilities Management
Trent Bridge House
Fox Road
West Bridgford
Nottingham
NG2 6BJ
Please ensure this letter
details your child’s condition and intolerance, their name and date of birth,
the name of their school, the date they started at the school and your name and
contact details. Please also note that any allergies and intolerances must be
accompanied and supported by medical documentation from the child’s GP or other
medical professional.
Portions and 'seconds'
Some children may want bigger portions or 'seconds'.
While we are delighted that they have healthy appetite, the portions
served in our schools are measured to ensure that they are equal and that they meet the recommended daily allowances.
Our menus fully comply with food standards on nutrition
and portion size. They contain at least two portions of fruit and
vegetables per meal and every meal is served with vegetables and/or
salad as standard.
Part of the new food standards state that free bread
should be made available at lunchtime to ensure children are not left
hungry after their dinner. We fully comply with these regulations by
making sure a basket of bread is available for children to help
themselves from at dinner time. You can visit the School Food Trust website which outlines these standards.
Bread
Since September 2006 the School Food Trust insisted that bread was available as an extra to the meal every day.
We have made sure that as an Authority, we fully comply
with this legislation and we therefore have a basket of bread available
for children to help themselves from at lunchtime. The bread is not
intended to form part of the overall meal, it is merely an extra
dimension to make sure that children feel full after their lunch.
You can find a copy of the Government standards on the School Food Trust website.
Free school meals and milk
Milk is free for all pupils up to the age of five and at
a reduced rate for all 5-7 year olds in nursery and infant schools. It
is also subsidised for all pupils in special schools.
If you receive a qualifying benefit you can get free
school lunches and milk for your child. Once in full-time education they
will get either a free two-course meal or items of an equivalent value
if there is a cash cafeteria service at lunchtime.
For information on how to get free school meals and milk please visit the free school meals page.
Differences from menu
On some occasions we have to make alternative emergency provision to replace items on the menu. At the menu planning stage it is never our intention to do this, but unfortunately unexpected problems
arise meaning we cannot always offer what is stated on the menu. In
these cases our catering teams will ensure they still provide your child
with a healthy alternative that meets all our requirements and standards.
Electronic copy of menu
All menus can be viewed and downloaded from the
current menu section of this website. Alternatively parents can contact
Nottinghamshire school dinners to request a copy by e-mail: schoolcatering.admin@nottscc.gov.uk.
Cost
The cost for a two course meal in primary schools is
£2.00. Secondary schools operate a cash cafeteria system with items
starting at 50p.
Paying
You can pay for your child's school dinners by cash or
cheque directly to the school. Please check with your school if meals
need to be paid for daily or weekly.
Some of our schools are now operating a cashless system, meaning you can pay online for your child's school dinners.
Queries
If you have a query relating to school meals and can't find the answers on this website, please feel free to contact us by:
