School Meals

Following Welsh Government's introduction of Universal Free Primary School Meals all children are entitled to a meal at lunch time, free of charge.

This commitment by Welsh Government is in response to the rising cost-of-living pressures on families and our shared ambitions of:

There are also wider benefits of free school meals, including:

We pay a Service Level Agreement to CCBC for provision of school meals and therefore this is not managed by the school. 

It is important that parents order school meals using our online form . This is so that catering staff know in advance how many meals to prepare, meat or vegetarian options, and allergy information and to ensure that the dinner order each morning is completed swiftly so that lessons can begin.

Parents and carers are emailed a menu and a Google Form to complete each Thursday (to be completed by 9:30 am Monday morning) ordering meals for the week ahead. You will need to submit a form for each child. Once you’ve clicked submit for the first child you will get a link to fill it out again for the next child.

Please see the menu before ordering. Occasionally there may be small changes to the advertised menu as a result of supply change issues, for example. Wherever possible we aim to provide an accurate menu according to our own canteen's supplies therefore the menu sent out by email each Thursday may differ slightly to that advertised by CCBC here: https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/services/schools-and-learning/school-dinners-and-breakfast-clubs/schedule-and-prices 

In Pontllanfraith we have adopted to operate the CCBC 'band system' where children wear a colour coded wrist band that corresponds to their order. 

Please check the menu carefully - we have had children upset if they have been ordered a meal that they don't like. We continue to take the ‘dinner’ register each morning for this reason and to ensure that any children whose parents have forgotten to complete the form can order. Children are then given the correct wrist band to wear which speeds up service in the canteen.

If you encounter any problems, please email PontllanfraithPrimary@sch.caerphilly.gov.uk and we’ll do our best to work with CCBC Catering to put it right. 

Frequently Asked Questions

My child has allergies - can they be catered for?

The catering team are happy to prepare food for a range of food allergies and conditions which require special diets, wherever possible. Please let the school office know and we will ask CCBC Catering Services to liaise with you.

Can my child have school dinners on some days and packed lunches on others?

Yes, please complete the Google Form sent out each Thursday to let us know your order for the days on which they will be having dinners.

Portion sizes

Meals are nutritionally analysed by CCBC Catering to ensure they are compliant with Welsh Government guidelines and that the full menu offered contains all the relevant nutrients which make up a healthy balanced meal for pupils.

Portion sizes have not changed since the introduction of Universal Free School Meals and are determined by weight. Portion sizes are the same for all pupils irrespective of age. The menu and size of portions offered in Pontllanfraith is the same as in all Caerphilly Primary Schools and is determined by Welsh Government Statutory Guidance.   Any queries should be directed to CCBC Catering.  

My child does not like all of the meal on offer - can I send in additional snacks?

Sorry, no. If you know that your child doesn’t like the full menu and will have a restricted meal as a result, please opt to send in a packed lunch on that day. 

Meat and Vegetarian Options

Vegetarian options are available daily and any child may choose to order the vegetarian option if they choose.

Do I have to complete the Google Form to order a meal?

Please complete the form by 9:30am each Monday morning. Nearly all parents do. Completing the form in advance means the ordering system is quick and efficient for teachers and enables them to begin lessons quickly each morning.  

However, we do not refuse a meal if a child's parent has not ordered in advance. Currently, to avoid any distress to children, we accept the child's order and will allow them to change their mind on the day. However the children doing this are in the minority and we are able to accommodate this. If the number of parents not completing the form were to increase we may need to reconsider our arrangements and contact parents who are not ordering in advance.

My child was unable to have the side they wanted. Why?

The amount of sides is determined according to the cook’s knowledge of the children and its popularity. Occasionally a side may run out if there is unexpected demand.

Can I order sides for my child as well as main meal options?

Sorry, no. Catering Services Band System only accommodates a choice of main.