School Meals

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to a free school lunch.

We still ask that parents complete the free school meals application form if in receipt of benefits as this adds several thousand pounds funding per child to the money we have to spend on your child’s education.

Complete the free school meal application form here

Our school canteen provides a healthy, balanced menu, or parents can send their child with a balanced, healthy packed lunch. Please note that Cobholm Primary Academy is a NUT FREE SCHOOL.

The school lunch menu and more details can be found by clicking on the links below: 

Eats Autumn Winter MenuEats Special Diet Menu

Tips on healthy lunch boxes can be found on the NHS Change 4 Life website and you may also like to consider the suggestions below.

Click here for NHS Change 4 Life website

Breaktime snacks

Children in Reception and Key Stage 1 are provided with a free piece of fruit for their snack daily. Children in Key Stage 2 may bring fruit or vegetables, or a healthy option to school for their breaktime snack. Please do not send your child with crisps or chocolate bars for breaktime.

Healthy lunchboxes

A healthy and colourful lunchbox will help your child to concentrate and work hard all day. Here are some ideas of what you could include:

• a sandwich with cheese, ham, tuna, egg, or hummus
• fresh vegetables such as cucumber or carrot sticks
• fresh fruit such as an apple or satsuma
• a sweet treat such as a yoghurt, cake, or flapjack
• a drink such as water, milk, or low-sugar squash

Water bottles

Children may drink water in classrooms and at lunchtimes - please make sure their bottle is labelled. Please do not put squash or juice in your child's bottle.

Chewing gum and sweets

Chewing gum and sweets are not allowed in school. If found these will be held by teachers and returned at the end of the school day.

Free school meals

Is my child entitled to free school meals?

Children of families receiving income support, employment support allowance (income-related) or income-based jobseeker's allowance are entitled to receive free school meals.

Families receiving child tax credit but who are not entitled to a working tax credit, and whose annual income (as assessed by the Inland Revenue) does not exceed £16,190, are also entitled, as are those who receive the guarantee element of state pension credit. Those families receiving working tax credit are not entitled to free school meals.

Note: Where a parent is entitled to working tax credit during the four-week period immediately after their employment ceases, or after they start to work less than 16 hours per week, their children are entitled to free school meals.

If you are receiving one of these benefits, please contact the academy to obtain an application form or call 0344 800 8020 for further advice.

You can also click the link below for more information and to download an application form:

Click here to download an application form

Once entitlement has been assessed children can continue to receive free school meals until the family stops receiving a qualifying benefit. Parents are required to inform the authority of any changes and regular checks will be carried out against records held by the Department of Work and Pensions, the Home Office, and HM Revenue & Customs by the free school meals team.