School Meals, Snacks & Milk
School Meals
We have our own kitchens at Bernards Heath and every lunch time we serve a variety of school meals – a meat or vegetarian hot meal and a school prepared packed lunch. From September 2014, new regulations come into force about school meals for Infant School aged children and every child in Foundation Stage 2 (Reception), Year 1 and Year 2 will be able to have a school meal free of charge.
Lunch time runs from 11.50 am until 1.10 pm, dependent on the children’s class. The children eat their lunch in the dining hall and are supervised by Lunchtime Assistants. Some children have time to join in with our Outdoor Play and Learning (OPaL) before eating lunch while others do so afterwards. Children’s play experiences are enriched by providing opportunities to create, explore and be active in a safe and stimulating ourdoor spaces. For more information on OPaL click here.
Children choose their lunch in the morning with their teacher at school. They can choose between a school prepared hot meal with meat, a hot vegetarian meal or a school prepared packed lunch.
We are encouraging all parents to take advantage of the free meals but if you so choose, you can send in a packed lunch made at home. All packed lunches should be brought in a packed lunch box with your child’s name clearly marked on it. We have a school packed lunch policy which informs parents of the need for a healthy lunch for all children at our school. See the policies section of the website for more details.
We employ ‘Nurture Group’ leaders who work at lunchtimes. Their role is to focus on any children who may find the lunch hour long or the ‘big’ playground challenging. They liaise with the staff to ensure the children all have happy playtimes. Always come and talk to us about any issues your child may have at lunchtimes.
Summer / Autumn Menu 2026
Click here to apply for a special allergy menu
Milk at School
Our milk scheme is administered by Cool Milk. Children can sign up for free milk up until the age of 5, after that, milk can be ordered at a subsided cost. Click here for more information.
We have three milk fridges to keep the milk nice and chilled. Children only drink milk or water at school.
Fruit at School
All children are provided with a drink and a snack every day. They are offered milk or water and a piece of fruit or vegetable from the Hertfordshire Free Fruit Scheme. We encourage the children to try these snacks and they look forward to them each day.
Please let us know if your child has an allergy and cannot eat certain foods.
