Lunch and break time
Lunch
Children may have a cooked meal or packed lunch. Birch Hill Primary School runs its own catering and we normally offer five choices for lunch every day. From Autumn term 2020, our menu is reduced to accommodate meals being served in classrooms. Our school lunches are freshly prepared and very popular. Meals are free for children in Year R, 1 and 2 and those eligible for free school meals, otherwise they cost £2.30 per day. Meals must be ordered at home the day before and paid for online. The parent guide giving instructions on how to book meals is attached below.
Our lunch booking system is here
Every day there is a choice of two main meals, one of which is vegetarian. We offer a choice of grab bag every day which contains a filled roll, vegetables and a piece of fruit, yoghurt or freshly made cake/dessert
The menus are on a three-week rota. Our latest menu is attached below.
If your child has an allergy or food intolerance and wishes to have school meals, you must complete a form to provide more information so that we can provide an agreed menu for your child. These are available from the office.
Packed lunches should be healthy. Chocolate, sweets and nuts are not allowed in school. Lunches should be brought in a container which is stored in class areas (or outside the school hall) until children are called for lunch. Please only include water. We encourage you to vary your child's eating pattern during the week and you may change between packed lunches and school dinners.
If you are receiving income support, income based job seeker's allowance or child tax credit, your family qualifies for assistance with school meals. The Local Authority deal with these applications. Application forms are available online via the Bracknell Forest website (here) or by phoning 01344 354023.
Breaktime Snack
Children in Key Stage 1 and Reception DO NOT need to bring a snack into school as we provide fruit for them at breaktime. Children in Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6) may bring in a snack of fresh fruit or raw vegetables to eat during morning break.
In order to continue to support healthy eating, no other form of snack will be allowed.
Online Payment
School meals must be paid for online. For more information click here.
Parents are asked to keep their child's account in credit. If you account goes into debt, you will receive texts and emails. If your account goes more than £11.50 into debt, you/your child will be unable to order and we will phone you to remind you to pay or to ask you to bring in a packed lunch. This is disruptive and unsettling for your child so please ensure your account is in credit.
Entitlement to Free School Meals
From 1 September 2026, all children in households receiving Universal Credit will receive free school meals (FSM). There will be two categories:
- Targeted FSM, which continues to be based on the existing threshold, covering pupils who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less
- Expanded FSM, a new category covering pupils who do not qualify for targeted FSM, but who are in households receiving Universal Credit
As we receive more information, updates will be made to this area of the website.
If your child is starting with us in September 2026 we are asking for your consent to complete a Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility check for your child. Even if you believe you may not qualify, please still provide your details via the MCAS app as this could help the school access valuable additional funding.
Completing the FSM check helps us identify whether your child qualifies for Free School Meals and enables the school to receive Pupil Premium funding, which supports learning, wellbeing and enrichment activities.
Currently (summer 2025) free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
If your child is eligible for ‘free school meals’ and you register them for this, we’ll receive extra funding called ‘pupil premium’. We use this extra money to improve the educational provision and resources at the school. What is pupil premium funding? Pupil premium funding from the government is given to schools to help pupils reach their full potential, regardless of their background or financial situation.
Does my child have to eat the free school meals?
No. Pupils who are registered for free school meals don’t have to eat them. If you’re eligible but you want your child to have packed lunches you should still register because the school will receive the funding which can support your child in other ways.
How do I register? You only need to apply once at the school
To do this, complete the online form: Free School Meal Application Form. The form is processed by Slough Borough Council who return the outcome via email to you and us. It is secure, private and results are confidential. If you need help completing the online form, please visit our school office.
More information
For more information about pupil premium can be found on our website, which contains details of how the pupil premium has been spent in the past academic year and how it will be spent this year. If you have any questions or specific concerns, please contact the school office.
You can apply for Free School Meals using the link below:
School Milk
Free milk is provided for children under 5. We use the Coolmilk scheme. Nursery children will be registered for milk by school. We ask Reception parents who would like milk for their child to register and this will be provided free until their child is 5. When children are 5, parents can opt to pay for milk. More information about the scheme and a registration form can be found here.