Welcome to Our New Catering Provider - abm

Introducing 'Grow' from abm catering

Hot school lunches are available every day here at Ashley Junior School.

The cost of a school lunch is £2.95; payment is online through Arbor.

We have been appointed as a Food For Life School.

Link to Food for Life

• At least 75% of dishes on the menu are cooked from scratch.
• Prioritise serving more vegetables, pulses and vegetarian meals.
• All meat is from farms which satisfy UK animal welfare standard
• No undesirable additives, artificial sweeteners or artificial trans fats
• Food waste reduction strategies are in place

There are always 3 options, one of which will be vegetarian. The children make their choice of lunch in the classroom each morning. If you know that your child will not be in until mid morning (for a medical appointment for example) please do ensure you call the office to book your child a lunch. Bookings cannot be accepted after 10.45am.

If you would rather provide your child with a packed lunch each day that is fine. Children with packed lunches also eat in the dinner hall. For packed lunch inspiration follow this link: Link:

Link to abm Website

Link to Online Special Diets Form

QR code to Online Special Diets Form

PAYING FOR LUNCHES:

The best way to pay for your child’s school lunches is with our online payment system – Arbor. You can then use the same account to make all your school dinner and trip payments. Please note we are unable to offer credit.

Packed Lunches at AJS

Packing a Brilliant (and Safe!) Lunchbox

At AJS, we want every child to have a happy, healthy, and safe lunchtime. To help us look after everyone in our school family, we have a few simple guidelines for packed lunches.

Keeping Everyone Safe (Strictly Nut-Free)

We have children in our school with severe, life-threatening food allergies. To keep them safe, our school is a nut-free zone. Please make sure none of these items are brought into school:

• Packs of loose nuts (like peanuts, cashews, or almonds)
• Peanut butter or Nutella in sandwiches or wraps
• Nut-based cereal bars or granola bars
• Cakes or biscuits that contain nuts

Healthier Treats

To keep our energy levels steady for afternoon learning, we ask that you leave confectionery at home.

• Please swap out: Chocolate bars, sweets, and chocolate spreads
• Great alternatives: Fruit pots, yoghurts, rice cakes, malt loaf

Happy Hydration

Staying hydrated helps our brains stay sharp, but high sugar can cause energy crashes.

• Please swap out: Fizzy drinks, energy drinks, and high-sugar juices

Great alternatives: Water, squash or a carton of lower-sugar fruit juice

Healthy Break-Time Snacks!

At our school, we love seeing our pupils recharge their batteries during morning break! A healthy mid-morning snack is a fantastic way to keep hunger pangs at bay until lunchtime and helps our brains concentrate on our late-morning lessons.

To help families pack the perfect morning fuel, here is a handy guide to what makes a great break-time snack:

Yes Please! (Great for Break Time)

We encourage snacks that provide a slow, steady release of natural energy. These should be packed separately from lunchboxes so they are easy to grab for playtime:

• Fresh Fruit: Crunchy apples, juicy grapes, sweet strawberries, or cherry tomatoes.
• Dried Fruit: Natural treats like raisins, sultanas, or dried banana chips.
• Raw or Cooked Vegetables: Crunchy carrot sticks, celery, or pepper slices.

Please Save for Lunchtime (Not for Morning Break)

Many processed snacks are advertised as healthy but can cause a quick sugar crash in the classroom. To keep things fair and healthy across the whole school, please do not send the following items for morning break:

• Cereal bars, flapjacks, or granola bars
• Fruit winders or fruit covered in chocolate
• Tinned fruit or yoghurts
• Cakes, biscuits, or croissants
• Packets of crisps

 

Arbor help Information for Parent Portal and the Parent App

FREE SCHOOL MEALS:

You may qualify for Free School Meals if you are in receipt of some benefits or tax credits.

You can very quickly check on the Government website whether you are eligible. You will need your child’s details, plus your date of birth and National Insurance Number. 

FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT FREE SCHOOL MEALS:

Free School Meals Information

BBC good food guide

SCHOOL MILK:

We work in partnership with Cool Milk to offer milk in school every day. If you are on Free School Meals this milk is free to your child, but you do need to tell us that you would like your child to have it (see letter below).

If you are not on Free School Meals you need to arrange the milk for your child with Cool Milk directly and you will pay Cool Milk directly (the cost is currently 31p per day). Cool Milk then supplies us with a list of children who should have milk each week. You can fill in the form (see below) and send it to Cool Milk, or register online at their website.

Cool Milk website