Lunch Menus

School Meals

All meals in school are prepared in our kitchens using ingredients that have been locally and sustainably sourced. These meals are prepared in accordance with Government guidelines and also take into account any allergies and religious beliefs.

Many of the children prefer to have their meal on a plate, which is split into 3 sections allowing them to have their lunch as individual parts of a meal. This allows the children to make choices and to taste all individual portions of the meal or to blend them to their own preferences. This encourages choice and helps to establish a child’s likes and dislikes.

Children can also to come up to the serving hatch, where possible, to give them more independence and allow them to use their communication skills - whether that is by voice or PECS boards.

Many of these dishes are served with a separate sauce as some children on the autism spectrum prefer to have little or no sauce. The Variety of menu choices allow exploration of different textures as part of sensory experience and preferences.

Many of our children, particularly those with Autism, may have very limited diets. We will work with children and families to improve and enhance food tolerance and to encourage children to broaden the range of foods they will eat.

Allergies

Here at Newfield School we take the children’s allergies very seriously.

All the kitchen staff have attended Allergy Awareness training. Each food item is allergy checked and the data is available for all staff members and/or parents to refer to. We have a Daily Diets Book which lists all the children with allergies relating to that particular meal on a daily basis. All the children with allergies have their lunch prepared in a certain area of the kitchen where it is free from risk of cross-contamination. All these foods are cooked and served using separate utensils and equipment.

Individual requests and considerations can be discussed between the catering team and the parents/carers, as well as the dietician at any time or during a child’s induction to the school.

Taster Meals

We offer taster meals to encourage children to try different tastes and textures to support them possibly progressing to having a full school meal. They are served on the portion plates mentioned earlier. This consists of smaller portions or samples of the meals on offer to encourage exploration and variety of foods the child is willing to eat. This can be a particular issue for some children on the autism spectrum.

Taster meals are offered in the hope that the child will be willing to take up a full school meal option.

You are welcome to come into school to discuss your child’s dietary requirements at any time.

Please contact your Jill Kettle should you wish to arrange to do this.

Pureed Meals

Newfield Kitchen offers a pureed meal to those children who require it.
These meals are nutritionally well-balanced and are based on the same menu. However, we use a wider range of vegetables as these can be blended down to a texture and consistency which is more manageable for the children. We also add extra proteins and fats should the children require it. All these meals are served on a plate divided into 3 sections allowing the children to experience different tastes and textures.

A pureed dessert or pureed fruit is available on a daily basis.

Packed Lunches

If parents prefer to send in a packed lunch for their child, we ask that it is in accordance with the national checklist for school lunches to ensure that pupils consume a balanced lunch to best prepare them for learning in the afternoon.

Information for families is about healthy lunches is available frmo the NHS Lunchbox ideas and recipes – Healthier Families - and NHS Eat Well.