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New nutritional standards for school lunches from September 2008

From September 2008 all school lunches on our core menus meet the new government nutritional standards for primary, special and nursery schools.

The standards mean that school meals must contain the set minimum and maximum levels of nutrients to provide the optimum nutritional balance.

The same standards come into effect in secondary schools in September 2009, but schools that we provide lunches to will benefit from nutritionally improved recipes in advance of this date.

» More information on nutritional standards of school meals

Whats on the menu?

There is an excellent range of foods on offer including Caribbean, Asian, and Mediterranean as well as traditional dishes so it’s easy for children to make healthy choices and try new dishes.

Our lunches consist of a main course and dessert, freshly made on the premises each day with carefully chosen ingredients and bread freshly baked each morning.

Summer term menu for primary schools 2009 (854KB PDF file)
Summer term menu for primary schools 2009 (841KB Word file)

Value for money

At just £1.70 for primary and £1.75 for secondary, school lunches provide excellent value for money. You can pay for your school meals in the way that is most convenient for you – weekly, by term, or half-term.  Many children qualify for free school meals.

Do you qualify for free school meals?

The government has given us clear instructions about who is entitled to receive free school meals.

Data Protection Act 1998

The information you provide will be used to assess entitlement to free school meals. We may also share this information with other bodies within the council.

If you live in Waltham Forest, your children who live with you are entitled to free school meals if they are, or will be, full time school pupils aged four and over, attending a Local Authority maintained school.

Free school meals are awarded to pupils whose parents/legal guardians receive:

  • Income Support (IS);
  • Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (IBJSA);
  • An income related employment an support allowance (IBESA) (this benefit was introduced on 27th October 2008)
  • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 or
  • Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) that as of 6 April 2009 does not exceed £16,040;
  • The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit ;
  • Children who receive IS or IBJSA in their own right are also entitled to received free school meals.

Evidence confirming receipt of one of the benefits listed above must be provided with the application form. Examples of acceptable forms of documentary proofs are as follows (please note that we can accept photocopies of these):

Income Support

  • A letter (dated within the last six weeks) from your Local Benefits Agency
  • A Post Office or Bank Statement confirming receipt of DWP IS (Income Support), dated within the last 6 weeks

Income Based Job Seekers Allowance

  • A letter (dated within the last six weeks) from the Jobcentre which confirms you are in receipt of Income Based JSA

Child Tax Credit

  • Copy of the most recent TC602 Tax Credit Award Notice for the current financial year

Guarantee element of state pension credit

  • A letter (dated within the last six seeks) from the Pension Service confirming that you are in receipt of Pension Credit

Asylum Seeker

  • Or a letter from the Local Authority providing financial assistance confirming Asylum status (dated within the last six weeks)
  • or a letter from the National Asylum Seeker Service (dated within the last six weeks)

Download the free school meals application form (23KB PDF file)

If you require further information about free school meals please visit VT Education and Skills web site or

Contact us

Pupil and Student Support
Graylaw House
High Road
Leyton  E10 6QE

Tel: 0845 877 0031
Fax: 020 8556 3026

All schools take special care to make sure that neither parents, carers nor children are caused embarrassment when applying for or receiving free school meals.

Why not introduce your child to school meals today?

We hope that your child will be joining us for school lunch and that they will benefit from the experience of eating with others, developing a taste for different foods, and gaining confidence to make food choices.

Waltham Forest Catering

Waltham Forest Catering is the main provider of school meals in Waltham Forest. We currently serve 63 primary, special and nursery schools and 7 secondary schools.

Our skilled catering staff are trained to provide a wide range of freshly produced, balanced, healthy meals that children will enjoy eating.

» More information about Waltham Forest Catering

Primary schools (serviced by Waltham Forest Catering)

Waltham Forest Catering Service provide school lunches to all of the primary schools except Hillyfields Community School, St Patricks Primary School and Mission Grove Primary School and Acacia Nursery.

Secondary schools (serviced by Waltham Forest Catering)

Waltham Forest Catering provides school lunches to Connaught Girls, Leytonstone, George Mitchell, Holy Family Technology College, Norlington Boys', Kelmscott and Willowfield Schools.

You can download a sample secondary school menu here. The sample menu is a 45Kb Microsoft Word file. For individual school's menu contact the school directly.

Contact us

If you would like to write to us then please use the address below:

Waltham Forest Catering Service
Children and Young People's Service
Silver Birch House
Uplands Business Park
Blackhorse Lane  E17 5SD

tel 020 8496 3000