How will they cope on their own at lunch? What about snacks?

For the first two weeks that your children start school, we have asked that you send them in with a packed lunch.  Please make sure that you don't include nuts as we are a nut free school.  

*We would normally have a school kitchen supplying hot meals but we are not confident how the usual dining area will be organised as the government have not yet released guidance.  In order for us to plan for a September start we are continuing with the format that we have been adopting with those children in school at present.  As soon as we know more, we will keep you updated.  

When your children come into class, they will bring their packed lunch box with them.  Please familiarise them with the box so that they can recognise their own lunch.  We will show them where in the classroom/cloakroom to keep their box.  

Just before 12:00 they will all go to thoroughly wash their hands.  A lunch break supervisor will come into each class.  We wipe down all the tables with antibacterial spray before children begin to eat.  The class teacher, teaching assistant and lunch break supervisor will stay with the children and support them with this process of finding their lunches, sitting at a table and opening any packets they might need help with.  We stay with them while they eat in the classroom.  After they have finished their lunch, they will head out into the playground/ their designated play area in order to get some fresh air and run around before beginning the afternoon learning.  The children will stay together until they have all finished eating and head out together as a pod.  As they are having packed lunches, you will be able to see what they leave behind in terms of food at the end of the day.  It is usually all slung back in the box as a special gift for you to sort out.  If we notice that anyone is not eating much, we will make a note and let you know at the end of the day.  

What will happen about snacks? 

* During the month of September we will not be given our usual supply of fruit.  This will be something that will recommence but for the first few weeks we ask you to send your child in with two snacks.

In the morning, school will provide a piece of fruit for their snack and also a carton of milk (After September once the service recommences).  If your child doesn't like milk, they can of course drink from their water bottle.  If your child has a tendency to get 'hangry' and they don't like fruit then you may of course send them in with a healthy snack.  We recommend that you put this in a labelled container or bag and separate to their lunchbox in their ruck sack (otherwise it gets confused with lunch and they will either eat it at lunch or go to get a snack from their lunchbox and end up tackling their lunch at 10am).  If they need - send in two snacks so that they have one for morning and one for afternoon break.

As they come into the classroom in the morning, they can reach into their ruck sack and take out their water bottles and snacks.  There will be a box for each of these items by the door or place for water bottles at the sink.    

*The fruit that we have in school can be; apples, bananas, pears, carrots, sugar snap peas,  tomatoes, raisins, satsumas.  It is provided by the local authority and therefore we don't know what is coming and when.

What do you mean healthy snack?

Any fruits or berries (grapes must be halved as they are a choking hazard); any cut up vegetables such as carrot sticks, celery, peppers; olives; plain bread sticks; rice cakes or crackers.  

Please don't send your children in with chocolate or crisps and most importantly - we are a nut free school.   So if in doubt - stick to fruit and veg.  

My child won't drink water

Please try really hard to encourage them that at school, children are only allowed to drink water.  It might be that once they come here, they will accept the rules and follow the other children.  The reason that we say this is because if some come with squash then others start to request it.  If they are sipping squash all day long, this is so damaging for their teeth and we really do want the best for them as we are a healthy school.  Please do not send them in with a fizzy drink.  

We let children have a sip of water at any point during the day.  We do make sure that they drink during snack time and lunch.  This means there are three points in the day we encourage them to drink.  Please reassure your child that if they are thirsty, they can help themselves to water at any time.... except during whole class input. (There is just 10 minutes when they are sat listening to the teacher that we deny them to get up and go and have a drink.  We remind them to go and get a drink after this time.  Please don't worry - we aren't that mean and some little tikes can be very crafty!!)