Food and Drink

The Canteen

Students can access the canteen at lunch time, and at the following times:

• Before school before breakfast, until 8:40.

• Year 11 only: break time. If your child is in another year group and you wish for them to have a snack at break time please provide them with one from home.

A wide range of nutritionally balanced food is served daily, prepared on site from fresh ingredients. The food on offer includes a selection of main and vegetarian meal options, together with freshly cooked pasta with delicious homemade toppings, a variety of paninis and hot filled baguettes, hot snacks including jacket potatoes with a choice of fillings. There are also freshly baked baguettes, homemade sandwiches, wraps, a wide range of salad and dessert pots along with our healthy flapjacks and tray bakes.

Payment

The school caterers, Aspens Services, operate a cashless catering system. This system works on the basis that each student has a ParentPay account and card (similar to an Oyster card) which is credited online via ParentPay. The card is then used at the tills in the Dining Hall where it is debited with the value of the meals purchased. For further information, see the section on ParentPay. Your child will be issued with a card on the first day of the September term. You will be informed of the username and activation code to make payments onto the ParentPay system before the beginning of term.

If students lose their card, they should speak to a member of the dining hall staff to order a new card. Lunch cards can be ordered in the morning up until 8:40, or at lunch time; they can be collected from the canteen in the morning. There is a small charge of £2.50 for a replacement lunch card. While they await their new card, students will still be able to purchase food, provided they have money on their lunch account.

National Healthy Schools' Status

In line with Government initiatives, the whole school has National Healthy School’s status. This involves 4 key areas: 

• Personal, Social and Health Education

• Healthy Eating

• Physical Activity

• Emotional Health and Well-being 

Our caterers, Aspen's Services, are following the Government’s new food guidelines and meet every month with a representative group from the School Senior Leadership Team to discuss students’ views and suggestions.

Around School

Plain, bottled water is allowed in lessons apart from those in laboratories. There are drinking water fountains around the school site.