Food and Nutrition

Food, Allergies and Healthy Eating

We are a nut-free school. This is to help keep all children safe. Please do not send any food containing nuts into school.

If your child has any food allergies or dietary requirements, it is very important that you inform the school as soon as possible, so we can ensure appropriate care and support.

We are committed to educating children about healthy eating and actively promote balanced, nutritious food choices throughout the school day.

Break Time Snacks

Children may bring a snack for break time. We kindly ask that snacks are healthy, such as fruit, vegetables, cereal bars , or similar nutritious options.

Friday Treat Day- coming soon

Free School Meals

We are committed to ensuring every child has access to healthy school meals.

Universal Free School Meals (UFSM):
All children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 are eligible for a free school lunch every day.

Free School Meals (FSM):
Children in other year groups may be eligible for Free School Meals if their family meets certain income criteria. This helps support families and ensures children receive a nutritious lunch. Please see the document below on how to apply.

As a reminder, children in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2 will continue to receive Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM). As you may already be aware, there have been some significant eligibility changes to Benefit Related Free School Meals (BRFSM) for children in all year groups. If you have not yet applied but believe you may be eligible, we would strongly encourage you to make an application - even if your child is currently in receipt of UIFSM. To do this, please visit www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals. Please ensure if you currently receive free school meals from Year 3 upwards that you have completed the new form above to ensure that you still receive this. If you are in receipt of Universal Credits and in the past have not been entitled to free school meals, you may now meet the criteria please fill out the form above. We wish that no child miss out on a free school meal.

School Dinners

At Booth Wood Academy and the David Ross Education Trust (DRET), we believe that a healthy body supports a healthy mind. As part of our ongoing commitment to your child's health and well-being, we are delighted to share some exciting changes to our school catering service starting this September. Following a robust review of our catering provision, we are partnering with a new specialist provider, Innovate (part of the Impact Food Group), transitioning from our previous provider Coombs. Our Vision for Healthy Lifestyles In partnership with Innovate, DRET is introducing a brand-new range of healthy, nutritious, and beautifully balanced meals designed specifically for primary school children. This new approach has already been trialled in a handful of our other DRET schools with outstanding success - the children absolutely loved the new options! This partnership is built on a shared vision to transform our school food culture. By focusing on delicious, freshly prepared meals that exceed national standards, we aim to fuel your child's learning while encouraging them to confidently try new, diverse foods. We are also prioritising fresh, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients, minimising food waste, and upgrading our dining spaces into inviting, positive environments. Our dining halls will even feature visual displays highlighting food provenance and nutrition, connecting what is on their plate directly to what they learn in the classroom. School Meal Pricing for September 2026 To ensure we can source these high-quality, fresh, and local ingredients while navigating wider economic food inflation, the cost of a primary school meal will be £2.85 from September. This is great news for pupils at Booth Wood Academy as this has allowed us to reduce the cost of a meal while retaining and improving the high-quality ingredients used.

We offer a range of nutritious school dinners each day to ensure children have balanced and enjoyable meals. Daily options include:

A main meal
A vegetarian option
A jacket potato
A pasta option
A filled cob
and two allergy options per day a meat and vegetarian option.

Every day there is a dessert of the day, with fruit and yoghurt also available as healthier alternatives.

We encourage parents and carers to sit with their children and involve them in choosing their meals. Giving children a say in what they eat helps promote positive attitudes towards food and healthy eating habits.

Please note that school lunches must be booked the day before via MCAS.

This includes children who are eligible for Universal Free School Meals (UFSM) or Free School Meals (FSM).

Take Over the Menu Day - coming soon

Once a term, one class is chosen to take over the school menu for the day. The children work together as a class to decide what the menu will be, helping them learn about food choices, teamwork, and healthy eating in a fun and practical way.

This is always an exciting opportunity for pupils and encourages greater engagement with school meals.

School Milk Scheme

Our school offers a daily milk scheme for all pupils. Children registered with Cool Milk receive a 189ml portion of fresh, semi-skimmed milk delivered to the classroom each day.

Milk is free for children under five. Children aged five and over can continue to receive milk at a subsidised cost.

Please document below on how to register your child for this.