School Dinner Menu
The Lanes Primary School has a school kitchen on site where meals are freshly prepared each day.
It is important that you inform us of any dietary requirements before your child starts school. An 'Alternative Menu' form is available to download below, this must be completed and returned to school before your child requests a school meal.
Each meal costs £2.80 (from Sept 2026) although children in Years R, 1 & 2 are eligible to receive a universal free school meal.
School meals should be paid for in advance via the MCAS app. When your balance falls below £2.80 you will receive a text reminding you to top up the account.
We do encourage your child to try new foods, although there is no undue pressure put upon your child. Children who have a school meal are also given a drink of water. Children are also able to stay and have a packed lunch at dinnertime. Please ensure that the contents are well balanced – no sweets or fizzy drinks are allowed. Please do not send your child to school with any food product containing nuts as we have a number of pupils with a nut allergy.
Free School Meals
Some parents may be eligible to claim free school meals and this could mean that the school will receive additional funding to support children's learning known as Pupil Premium.
From the start of the 2026-2027 academic year, free school meals eligibility is being expanded to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit, regardless of household earnings. Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the qualifying benefits below:
- Universal Credit
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Households may also be entitled to a meal if they:
- are in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- receive the guarantee element of Pension Credit
- meet criteria set out in separate guidance for families with no recourse to public funds
There will be two qualifying groups for free school meals:
- Targeted free school meals - households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less.
- Expanded free school meals - pupils who do not qualify for targeted free school meals, but are in households receiving Universal Credit.
If you are awarded free school meals this will continue to the end of the 2026-2027 academic year, even if you have a change in your circumstances that means you should not qualify for free school meals. All claims will be reviewed ahead of the 2027-2028 academic year.
Free school meals for children in all households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) has been permanently extended subject to maximum income thresholds. More information is available here for children of those who have no recourse to public funds. Families in these groups cannot apply online and should telephone the customer service team to apply.
It is important that all parents who receive one of the benefits listed above register for free school meals as this will enable your child's school to claim "pupil premium allocation."
The pupil premium is additional funding given to publicly funded schools in England to raise attainment. This additional funding for schools can help to buy new equipment and resources.
Further information can be found below: