No Debt Policy
School Meal Policy
Nut Awareness Policy

Our Menu’s

Delicious and Nutritious School Meals at Hillside

At Hillside, we believe that lunchtime should be a happy, safe, and healthy part of the school day. Our dedicated in-house catering team prepares all meals freshly on the premises, ensuring a fantastic meal experience for every child. They have even been awarded the top 5-star rating for food hygiene by the Food Standards Agency!

Our culinary experts create a tasty and healthy menu, changing on a three-week rolling programme, which gives children a wide variety of flavours, colours, and textures. You’ll find traditional English favourites alongside exciting tastes from around the world. We ensure our menus meet the latest UK school food standards.

Focus on Quality and Sustainability

We put a great emphasis on the quality and source of our ingredients:

  • We use farm assured meat, free-range eggs, and fish sourced from sustainable stocks.
  • We source food as locally produced as possible to support the local economy.
  • We are committed to using environmentally sustainable and ethically sourced foods.

Lunchtime Service and Choice

Our highly skilled and passionate catering and lunchtime supervisory staff make dinnertime a fun and enjoyable experience in a safe and hygienic environment.

  • Choice for Children: Children in Key Stages 1 and 2 (Years 1-6) use a self-service system and get a choice of main course, side dish, dessert, and drink. A fresh salad bar is always available as an alternative to the cooked vegetables on offer.
  • Nursery and Reception: Children in our youngest classes have a ‘family service’ for their school lunch, encouraging a social and supportive dining experience.
  • Dietary Needs: We cater for all children with special dietary requirements and allergies. Please make sure the school office is notified of any allergies your child has.

Important: Peanut and Nut Allergies

We have children and staff with severe allergies to peanuts and nuts. To help us prevent serious allergic reactions, we kindly ask that you do not send any products containing peanuts or nuts to school with your child in their lunchboxes or at any other time. Your cooperation is essential for the safety of our whole school community.

School Meals and Packed Lunches

Your child may have a school meal or bring a packed lunch (excluding Nursery children).

School Meal Payment

  • The current cost of a school meal is £15.00 per week (£3.00 per day).
  • Payment is made weekly, in advance, on the first morning of the week.
  • We operate a cashless environment using an online payment system called ParentPay. Details for registration will be provided in your child’s induction pack. You can access the ParentPay site here: https://app.parentpay.com/public/client/security/#/login
  • We require one week’s notice for any changes to your child’s school meal arrangements.

Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM)

Thanks to a government initiative, all children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 are entitled to a free school meal. An application form will need to be completed upon induction to ensure this is registered.

Packed Lunches

  • As a health promoting school, we ask that all packed lunches and break time snacks contain only healthy food.
  • Lunches should be in a clearly named, secure container, and drinks should be in an unbreakable container.
  • Hot or fizzy drinks are not allowed. We encourage children to drink fresh water daily; water coolers are located throughout the school.

Free School Meals (FSM)

Registering for means-tested Free School Meals not only provides your child with a free, healthy lunch (saving you over £500 a year) but also ensures the school receives additional funding (Pupil Premium) which is vital for their education. This is true even if your child already receives Universal Infant Free School Meals (Reception, Year 1, Year 2). No one will know you have registered, and it will not affect any other benefits you claim.

Who Qualifies for FSM?

Your child may qualify for Free School Meals if you receive any of the following benefits:

  • 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 guaranteed 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 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
  • Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net income of no more that £7,400)

If you qualify for FSM, your child may also be eligible for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme and other local support.

How to Check and Apply

  1. Check Eligibility: You can quickly and easily check if you qualify online. Please use the Stoke-on-Trent City Council FSM application link here: https://www.stoke.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals
  2. Contact Us: If you have any difficulties completing the online form, please contact the school office. All enquiries are treated in the strictest confidence. If you need free school meals help or advice, you can email fsm@stoke.gov.uk.