Free school meals on trips

[Tiggywrinkle]

Children in reception, yr1 and yr2 are entitled to free school meals (in England).

What happens when they go on trips? Do schools provide free packed lunches? Is there a legal requirement for them to do this?

[Sirzy]

School will provide a lunch.

We get a letter the week before asking which butty option they want

[lorisparkle]

Yes they should provide a packed lunch for trips.

[onemouseplace]

School will provide free lunches - we had to tick whether we wanted it on the consent slip.

Mine tended to have a packed lunch from home for trips though as they school ones were pretty uninspiring and it was a bit of a treat for them.

[Tiggywrinkle]

Interesting. Thanks. My local primary does not offer free packed lunches for trips.

Has any one else had experienced this?

[MongerTruffle]

My local primary does not offer free packed lunches for trips.
What happens if the parents can't (for whatever reason) make a packed lunch?

[MongerTruffle]

I've just looked it up and yes, they are required to provide a lunch for trips.

[paxillin]

Ours do provide free packet lunches, but very few people take them up. Kids want to take a packed lunch from home. Sadly, this means it is really obvious which kids can't afford that and have to take the free school ones.

[TheFifthKey]

School provide lunches here, but it’s the only time I’ll concede to send one from home, because the school ones are —boring— healthy

[LadyMonicaBaddingham]

I'm a primary school lunchtime coordinator. 'My' school does provide a packed lunch for FSM pupils going on trips (as they should), but it is surprising how few parents take this option up as opposed to the general take-up of FSM at the school... I don't know why, but I'd be very interested to hear what you all think?!

[Tiggywrinkle]

Where did you find this written MongerTruffle? I did try googling but couldn’t find anything.

[Armchairanarchist]

Our school did but on trips there would only be three or four children in DD's class that took the school ones on the ones I went on.

[MongerTruffle]

childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/wp/childrens-food-trust/schools/school-food-plan/uifsm/infant-fsm-faqs/

I haven't found a government source, though.

[Bridgeofpies]

Oh my goodness, I have never even heard of this! When DD went on a couple of school trips last year (in Reception) we got a note reminding us to pack a lunch and to remember to cancel the school meal! It didn’t occur to me that they would provide one but now I think about it, of course it would be covered by the free school lunches provision! I wonder why they don’t do it!

[BlackLambAndGreyFalcon]

Our school provides packed lunches for trips for all in KS1 (and I assume all on FSM in KS2) if you return the firm requesting one, otherwise they assume that you'll provide one from home. Not looking to KS2 when we'll have to provide one!

[Ragdoll1234]

Only children who qualify for the pupil premium (low income) will normally be the only ones eligible for the packed lunch on schools trips. All the other children are on universal free schools meals and parents are expected to provide lunches.

[Earslaps]

Our school asks you to provide a packed lunch for school trips in KS1 but says you can request a free one from the school if on FSM.

We are in a fairly wealthy area though and I think in the whole of KS1 there are fewer than five children on FSM.

The teachers usually pack a few school made packed lunches just in case anyone has forgotten in all years. One boy in DS's class has a huge appetite (very slim still, he just never stops moving!), so the teacher packs a few extra sandwiches in case for him!

[missmapp]

At our school any fs/ks1 child can have a school packed lunch on a trip if they order one on the slip beforehand. As a pp has said, most take a home lunch but teachers always take a few spare .

[Tiggywrinkle]

Hmm, thanks all for the info and thanks MongerTruffle for the link. Sounds like my school are not doing what they should be.

[DelphiniumBlue]

Yes, schools provide a packed lunch but it's often brown bread sandwich with something like tuna or cheese and salad filling, plus an apple and a small carton of juice. You'd need to supply extra water, and any snack.
You need to tell school in advance that you'll be requiring it.

[Korvalscat]

At dgs1 school, the letters about the reception trips stated that a packed lunch, including a drink, would be provided but parents could add a (healthy) snack if they wished and/or send the dcs usual water bottle. The dc chose their own sandwich filling the day before (cheese, ham or tuna). The school also provided fruit for a morning snack and a cookie for the afternoon. The dc don't usually get an afternoon snack so the cookie was a treat.

[Norestformrz]

Ear slaps all children in Reception and KS1 are entitled to free school meals regardless of parents income.

[Norestformrz]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/free-school-lunch-for-every-child-in-infant-school

[IggyAce]

Our school is very good at making sure all children are treated the same. Therefore the school provide a packed lunch for all children for all trips.

[Goposie]

Our school provides a lunch but it is just a sandwich and an apple so I send something in

[Amaried]

Honestly I'm not sure I could get worked up about having to send a sandwich in two or three times a year.