School Meals
At Mossbourne Fobbing Academy we believe in encouraging healthy eating. Our school meals are provided by our specialist catering partner called ‘The Pantry’. The Pantry only uses the best quality ingredients and suppliers, whilst trying to maintain an affordable meal price for all our students.
If your child is using the school canteen at lunchtime, they will have a choice of hot and cold meals from the daily menu, including at least 1 vegetarian choice.
Our meat is sourced from “halal” suppliers and is certified to HFA standards. All foods containing allergens are clearly labelled and information on these can be obtained from our Catering Manager.
On special occasions throughout the year, we hold “theme days” to mark historical achievements, events, religious celebrations and many other topical celebrations where the food offered is appropriate to the occasion.
Studies link eating healthy food to sustained levels of concentration in the classroom, so we strongly believe in ensuring all our students get access to a high quality healthy meal option not only to support their physical well-being but also their mental well-being and hopefully lead to better educational outcomes for all our students.
Fresh, Healthy Food for Growing Minds
Just like you, we're parents, and there's nothing more important to us than seeing the children we feed get served the nutritious food they deserve.
- Simple - All of the meals we serve your children have been kept as simple as possible, using the same ingredients you'd find at home.
- Fresh - We hand make all of our lunches that morning
- Nutritious - Every one of our recipes has been carefully selected to provide your child with the nutrition their growing bodies need.
- Quality - We insist on the highest quality ingredients, from fresh fruit and veg to red tractor approved, grade A meat.
Healthy pack lunch ideas
Although we encourage all children to eat the hot meals cooked by our catering team, children may alternatively bring a packed lunch, in a sealed container (clearly marked with their full name and class).
Free school meals
Your child may be entitled to free school meals or a premium to assist with their education.
Even if your child does not wish to eat free school meals but is entitled to, Mossbourne Fobbing Academy could receive funding of £985 per year to help with tuition, resources, coaching and extra assistance. To find out if your child is entitled please follow the Free School Meals link.
The basic information is also reproduced below:
Pupil Premium is a Government grant which is paid to schools / academies. It is allocated for children from low-income families who are currently known to be eligible for Free School Meals or to children who have been looked after continuously (in Local Authority care) for more than six months. This grant was introduced in April 2011 and information is taken from a Data Collection from all schools called the School Census.
Who is eligible:
Your child may be eligible for free school meals if you receive either:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- 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
- Universal Credit – provided your total net earnings are no more than £616.67 each month
- the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Your child must be attending a state-funded school in the Thurrock area. If your child attends a school outside of Thurrock, you must apply to the council for the area in which they attend school.
When you must apply:
You must make a new application for your child to start receiving free school meals, even if their siblings already receive free school meals.
When you have to register:
If you've moved to Thurrock and had been assessed as eligible for free school meals in the area you moved from, you only have to register with us – you don't have to make a new application.
When you don't have to apply:
You don't have to make a new application at the start of each school year – even if your child's school says you should. The government will allow your entitlement to continue, either until it finishes introducing Universal Credit (expected in 2023), or until your child leaves school when they complete year 11 or a sixth form college connected to the school, whichever is sooner.
You also don't have to make a new application if your child:
- changes their school in-year within Thurrock
- moves from primary to secondary school within Thurrock
How to apply or register
Visit https://www.thurrock.gov.uk/school-meals/free-school-meals
