School Meals

School Meals

Your child may bring their own packed lunch to school or order from our school catering service.  Whichever you choose for your child sitting down together for lunch helps develop children’s social skills and research suggests that a healthy meal can improve a child’s concentration.

With this in mind, Loddon Primary School lunches are freshly prepared daily on site and served by Innovate Services Ltd a subsidiary of the Impact Food Group https://impactfood.co.uk/brands/innovate-ifg/

A classic main meal or classic halal meal or vegetarian main meal as well, as baked potato or rolls or freshly cooked pasta options, are offered every day followed by a healthy pudding option.  A copy of the latest menu is available for you to download at the bottom of this page or you can get a copy from the School Office.

Allergies / Intolerances

In order for Innovate Services Ltd to cater for children safely we require the following from parents/carers before a school meal can be provided:

• Allergy Action Plan

• Submit Parental Child Questionnaire

https://innovate2020.cashlessschool.co.uk/paf/?sie=13631&sn=Loddon+Primary+School

• Supporting NHS documentation following allergy testing
• Innovate Services Ltd will work with your child’s allergies/intolerances to ensure a safe menu is available to you and until such times that is agreed a safe meal we provided.

You may prefer to provide a packed lunch from home for your child.  However, please still make the school aware of any allergies / intolerances.  This is to ensure in the event we have to cater for your child (forgotten/lost lunch box/Christmas Dinner) we are providing a safe meal at all times.

Packed Lunches

At Loddon Primary School, we aim to encourage children to adopt a healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle. Therefore we ask families to follow this guidance on healthy lunches.

What can I include in my child's packed lunch? 

• At least one portion of fruit 

• At least one portion of vegetables 

• One portion of meat, fish, eggs or non-dairy protein (e.g. hummus, beans) 

• A starchy food such as bread (e.g. white or brown rolls, chapatti, pitta bread or tortilla wraps), pasta, rice, couscous or noodles 

• A dairy food (e.g. yogurt, cheese)

• Either a packet of crisps or a couple of plain biscuits (e.g. digestive biscuits)

• A drink of water, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk (or dairy-free equivalent)

Please avoid adding these items to your child's packed lunch?

• Nuts

• Sweets

• Chocolate and chocolate-covered biscuits

• Cereal bars

• Processed fruit bars

• Pastry products (e.g. sausage rolls, pies, jam tarts, croissants)

• Sugary soft drinks (including sugar-free ones as they still cause tooth decay)

Packing a healthy packed lunch and supporting your child with healthy eating

Please click https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes/ for ideas for healthier packed lunches for your child.

What happens if I put unhealthy foods in my child’s packed lunch?

If we are concerned that your child is regularly bringing a packed lunch that does not meet healthy expectations and/or does not support your child to have sufficient energy for the afternoon in the school, then we will contact you to discuss this.

Healthy Snacks

Children are allowed to bring a healthy snack with them to school to have at break time. As a rule, we recommend a piece of fruit, a couple of plain biscuits or raw vegetables such as carrot or cucumber stick.

The same rules apply to snacks as to lunches so please refer to the list above to see which items children must not bring to school as a snack. If children do bring an inappropriate snack to school, such as a whole pack of biscuits or a large sharing bag of crisps, these may be removed from the child and returned to you at the end of the school day to take home. We will always remove nut items as we are a nut free school and have children on site with significant nut allergies. 

If you are finding it difficult to persuade your child to eat a healthy diet please seek support from our Parent Support Advisor who can offer guidance and support in this area.

Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM)

• Every child gets a free school meal from Reception, Year 1 and Year 2

A school lunch is priced at £2.65 for children in Year 3, 4, 5, or 6 (prices correct at September 2025) 

** An adult school lunch is priced at £3.18 (prices correct at September 2025) **

Free School Meals

To qualify for Free School Meals (FSM) for your child you must receive one of the following:

• Income support
• Income-based job seeker’s allowance
• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Child Tax Credit – provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have and annual income that does not exceed £16,190
• The guarantee element of the State Pension Credit
• Universal Credit (your household income must be less than £7,400 a year)

Pupil Premium

To qualify for Pupil Premium (PP) for your child you must be receiving one of the following: Income support

• Income based jobseeker’s allowance
• Income related employment and support allowance
• Support under part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of the State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit. This only applies if you’re not entitled to Working tax credit and your annual income is less than £16,190
• Working tax credit run on – this is paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

Your child will also be eligible if they have:

• Been looked after by the local authority for 1 day or more
• Been adopted
• Left care under a special guardianship or residence order

How to apply for Free School Meals / Pupil Premium

Please find below a Wokingham Borough Council Application For Free School Meals form and Guidance Notes for Parents and Guardians.  Please download, complete and submit the form to School Office.

SCOPAY – (Schools Cash Office Payments)

Each and every day the school uses SCOPAY to monitor every child’s school lunch option whether it is a packed lunch from home or a school lunch made by the school catering provider.  It is essential therefore that all parents/carer have a SCOPAY account.

How do I get a SCOPAY account?

Prior to your child joining, the School Office will send you an email inviting you to register on SCOPAY and will provide you with your unique individual link code that you will need to use when registering.  You must register within 72 hours otherwise the link code will expire and you will need to request another link code from the School Office.  If you do not have a SCOPAY account then email the School Office: admin@loddon.wokingham.sch.uk

You can access SCOPAY either using the SCOPAY app or via your desktop using the url: https://www.scopay.com/login

You will use the SCOPAY system to inform the school whether your child is having a packed lunch from home or you wish to order a school lunch from our catering provider.  The SCOPAY system is configured that this can be done 31 days in advance but it must be done by midnight the night before.  It is with regret that the catering provider is unable to accept a school lunch on the same day and must be pre-ordered in advance.  The School Office will contact you requesting you to bring in packed lunch from home for any child where a school lunch has not been pre-ordered or a packed lunch from home has not come in to school.

** Please Note: You will only be able to pre-order a school lunch providing your child’s school dinner money account is in credit **