The Diner

Freshly Cooked School Meals

We are proud to offer freshly prepared, healthy and nutritious meals through The Collegiate Trading Company, which is part of our wider Trust. All meals are cooked on-site in our school kitchens and meet the national School Food Standards.

Meals cost £2.61 per day and can be easily ordered online via ParentPay. To help us plan effectively and ensure your child receives a meal they will enjoy, orders should be placed by Thursday of the previous week.

We do our best to cater for a wide range of dietary requirements and allergies. While some halal-friendly options are available, these are not offered every day. If your child requires halal meat, we recommend choosing the vegetarian hot meal, jacket potato option, school-provided packed lunch, or a packed lunch from home.

Free School Meals

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to Universal Infant Free School Meals, so there is no cost for their lunch.

Children who are eligible for Free School Meals can also receive a free lunch each day. We encourage families to apply if they think they may be eligible.

Lunchtime Options

We offer four lunchtime options to suit different preferences:

A hot meal prepared on-site
A cold meal option prepared on-site
A school-provided packed lunch
A packed lunch from home

Our menus run on a three-week cycle and are designed to provide a balanced and varied diet. Menus are shared with parents so you can plan ahead with your child.

A school-provided packed lunch can also be ordered for educational visits and trips, making things a little easier on busy mornings.

Working Together

We kindly ask that parents and carers look through the menu with their child when placing orders on ParentPay. This helps ensure children know what to expect and feel happy with their choice at lunchtime.

When children are unsure about what has been ordered for them, it can sometimes lead to worry or upset. Taking a few moments each week to choose meals together can make a big difference and helps lunchtime remain a positive experience for everyone.

How to order hot meals

Please log on to ParentPay using your unique Username and Password (available from the school office) to order, book and pay for your school meal.

Universal Free School Meals

We have made the decision at Waterfield to make Universal Free School meals compulsory for all Reception children. Children in Years 1 & 2 are also entitled to Universal Free school Meals but can opt in and out as they wish.

This decision has proved very worthwhile as children are prepared to try new foods, learn new social skills and are more alert for afternoon lessons.

Packed Lunch from home

Your child may bring a packed lunch from home into school. Please do not include sweets, chocolate bars or fizzy drinks in packed lunches and there are no cooling facilities for the packed lunches so please include a ‘freezer pack’ in the lunchbox if necessary. Children are not allowed to swap things from their lunch boxes or give each other food.

West Sussex is a ‘nut free authority’. Please do not include nuts (including peanut butter), as these are extremely dangerous for some children and members of staff.

Lunchtime supervisors oversee pupils eating lunch and will report any concerns to the class teacher e.g. children who do not seem to eat enough or do not appear to have a balanced diet. These concerns will then be reported to parents or carers.