Daily Life

Hungry? Here is everything you need to know about getting food at school!

🍔 What’s for Lunch?

At break and lunchtime, you can head to the canteen to grab a snack or a full meal. Our food is made by a company called Olive Dining. They use a 3-week menu cycle, which means there is plenty of variety!

If you (or your parents) want to see what’s cooking this week, you can check out the menus on our website here: School Menus

💳 How to Pay (No Cash Needed!)

We don’t use actual coins or notes in the canteen. Instead, we use a "cashless" system.

• Biometrics: This sounds high-tech because it is! It usually uses a quick scan of your finger to identify who you are so you can pay for your food.

• MCAS: Your parents or carers can top up your account online. They can also see what you’ve been buying (so they’ll know if you’re eating your veggies or just buying cookies!).

🥪 Packed Lunches?

If you would prefer, you can bring your own food in from home to eat in our canteen dining area or anywhere outside.

🍴Free School Meals?

If your family receive income support then you may be entitled to Free School Meals. Ask your adults to organise this with Lewisham Local Authority and you will find money is added to your account every day for a lunch meal deal.

At break and lunchtime, you have plenty of great spots to eat and hang out with your friends. Here is the breakdown:

🍴 Where to Eat

To keep the school looking its best, please make sure you eat your food in these specific spots:

• The Canteen: Perfect for sitting down with a hot meal in the indoor dining areas.

• Outside Spaces: If the weather is nice, you can take your food outdoors to the designated seating areas.

⚽ Fun and Games

Once you’ve finished eating, there is a lot to do outside! You can head to:

• The Playground & Seating: We have lots of outdoor benches and a canopy-covered area with tables—great for staying dry or getting some shade. Lots of students (and staff) bring card games and dominoes to play in their downtime in these spaces.

• Table Tennis: We have 4 table tennis tables ready for action. Grab a bat and challenge your friends!

• The Astro-Turf: If you love football, you’re in luck. We have a 3-pitch astro-turf that is open every lunchtime for students to play on.

📚 Chill Out and Study

If you prefer a more relaxed break, we have some great indoor options too:

• The Library: This is our dedicated quiet space. It’s the perfect spot if you want to get lost in a good book or just enjoy some peace and quiet.

• Group Seating: We also have a space where you can just sit and chat with a group of friends.

Friendly Reminder: To keep our books and furniture clean, please do not bring any food or drink into the library or the group seating areas.

It’s totally normal to worry about what happens if you feel a bit under the weather during the school day. We want you to feel safe and cared for, so here is the plan if you aren’t feeling your best:

🤒 Feeling Unwell or Had an Accident?

If you start to feel poorly or have a little bump during class, the first thing to do is tell your teacher. If you’re on a break, just find the nearest staff member on duty.

Most of the time, a quick drink of water or a short rest in the classroom is all you’ll need to feel better and keep on learning! Your teacher will chat with you and decide if you need to pop over to see one of our first aid-trained staff members for a bit of extra help.

🏠 Can I Go Home?

We want you to get the most out of your lessons, so we try our best to help you stay in school. Because of this, students can’t just go to the office to call home or leave the building on their own.

In the rare case that you really are too unwell to stay, a Year Leader or an Assistant Headteacher are the only people who can give permission for you to go home.

📞 How We Contact Your Family

If the school decides you need to head home to rest:

• A member of staff will call your parents or carers using the emergency number they gave us.

• Important: You can only be sent home once we have spoken to a responsible adult who can look after you.

Top Tip: Remember, your teachers are there to look after you! If you're feeling a bit "off," let them know—they're very good at helping you get back on your feet.

We think it’s really important that your parents and carers know all the great things you’re doing at school! Here are the two main ways we send news and updates home:

✉️ MCAS (The "News" App)

This is how we send out letters about school events and important reminders. Instead of a crumpled piece of paper at the bottom of your bag, these messages go straight to your parents' phones via email or text.

🏰 Evolve (Your extra-curricular events coordinator)

This is how we let you know about trips you are invited on and is where your parents will need to give consent and pay for the events - no consent = no trip, so make sure you get them to use this. This is also where you find out about instrument lessons.

📈 Class Charts (Your Daily Planner)

This is the most important app for your school life! While your parents have an account to see how you’re getting on, you will get your own login too. Think of it as your digital personal assistant. By logging into the Class Charts Student App, you can:

• Check Your Points: See all the green "achievement points" you’ve earned for hard work and being kind. You can also look at what you are struggling with and getting negative points for.

• Track Your Homework: No more "I forgot what the teacher said!" Your homework tasks, instructions, and deadlines will be listed right there.

• See Your Timetable: Each night (or during breakfast in the morning), if you’re not sure which rooms you’re heading to next, you can check your schedule on the app.

• Stay Organised: It shows you exactly what equipment you might need for the next day.

Top Tip: Download the Class Charts Student app on your phone (if you have one) or log in on a computer at home. It’s the best way to make sure you're always prepared and ready to go!

One of the best things about starting at Prendergast Ladywell is the chance to try new things after your lessons finish or during your break!

🌟 Join a Club!

We have a huge range of clubs where you can hang out with people who like the same things you do. Whether you want to get creative, get active, or get techy, there is something for everyone.

Here is a sneak peek at what you can do in Year 7:

• Creative & Fun: You could join Zine Club , Art Club , Clay Club , or even Improv Comedy.

• Music & Performance: We have a Choir , Keyboard Club , Rock Band , and Rap/Poetry.

• Tech & Gaming: If you love computers, check out Esports , Coding , Robotics , or Science Club.

• Quiet & Study Spaces: You can visit the Book Club or head to Homework Club after school (Monday–Thursday) if you want to get your work done before you go home.

• Be a Leader: Join the Y7 Leadership club on Tuesdays to help make the school even better!

⚽ Sports and Teams

If you love to stay moving, we have plenty of lunchtime and after-school sports:

• Lunchtime: You can try Badminton and Basketball on Mondays or Trampolining on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

• School Teams: If you want to play for the school, we have Y7 Boys Football on Mondays , Y7 Girls Football on Tuesdays , and Y7 & Y8 Netball on Thursdays.

📅 Important to Remember

Things change! The clubs we offer usually change every term. This means if you don't see something you like this term, there might be something totally different starting next term. It also gives you the chance to try lots of different hobbies throughout the year!