Healthy, balanced meals every day
School meals at North Mead are provided by Chartwells, our catering partner.
We want lunchtime to be an enjoyable part of the school day and for children to have access to meals that are nutritious, varied and suitable for their needs.
Chartwells develops primary-school menus with input from nutrition and food specialists and provides seasonal menus designed around the School Food Standards.
Our lunchtime offer
Children are offered a choice of meals each day, with menus designed to provide a balanced combination of:
- vegetables and fruit
- carbohydrates
- protein
- familiar dishes
- opportunities to try new foods
Chartwells’ primary menus are updated seasonally and include themed days and special menus during the year.
Current menus should be made available to families through the school website and school communications.
Free school meals
All children in:
- Reception
- Year 1
- Year 2
are automatically entitled to a free school meal through the Universal Infant Free School Meals scheme.
Children in Year 3 and above may also be entitled to free school meals depending on family circumstances.
From June 2026, eligibility in Leicester was expanded for some families receiving Universal Credit, so families who were previously ineligible may now qualify.
Why families should still apply
Even if your child already receives a free meal because they are in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2, families who may qualify for benefits-related free school meals should still make an application.
This is important because eligibility can also generate additional Pupil Premium funding for the school, which is used to support children’s education and wider opportunities.
Families can apply through Leicester City Council.
Medical diets and allergies
If your child has a food allergy, intolerance or medical dietary requirement, please tell us.
Chartwells operates a specific medical-diet process designed to enable children with allergies and other medical dietary needs to eat safely at school.
This may include:
- allergen-aware menus
- individually adapted or bespoke menus
- consideration of food allergies and intolerances
- support for medical conditions requiring a modified diet
- texture-modified food where required
Parents or carers may be asked to complete a Medical Diet Request Form so that the catering team can assess the child’s requirements and arrange an appropriate menu.
Please do not rely only on verbal information about an allergy. Make sure the school has complete and current medical information.
Allergens
Chartwells provides allergen information for its menus and has dedicated procedures for managing food allergies. Its current approach includes both Allergen Aware and Bespoke medical-diet menus where appropriate.
If your child requires an EpiPen or other emergency medication, this must also be discussed with the school so that the appropriate medical arrangements are in place.
Dietary requirements
Families should let us know if their child has dietary requirements linked to:
- allergy or intolerance
- medical need
- religion or belief
- vegetarian or vegan diet
- other significant dietary requirements
We will work with Chartwells to determine what can be provided safely and appropriately.
Encouraging healthy choices
Lunchtime is also an opportunity for children to develop healthy habits and greater independence.
We encourage pupils to:
- try a range of foods
- eat fruit and vegetables
- drink water
- make balanced choices
- use good table manners
- socialise positively
- become increasingly independent at lunchtime
Chartwells’ current primary-school offer places particular emphasis on fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, beans and pulses, alongside reducing foods high in fat, salt and sugar.
Packed lunches
Families who choose to provide a packed lunch should send food that is suitable for a full school day and supports a balanced diet.
Please ensure packed lunches:
- are clearly named
- do not include items prohibited by the school
- take account of any school-wide allergy arrangements
- are stored in an appropriate lunchbox
If North Mead has a separate packed-lunch policy or specific restrictions, I would link them here rather than put them into the permanent webpage unless they are unlikely to change.
Lunchtime at North Mead
We want lunchtime to be safe, calm, social and enjoyable.
Children are supported by staff to eat well, develop independence and enjoy positive social time with their friends.
Where a child has additional needs, reasonable adjustments can be made to help them access lunchtime successfully.
Current menus
Families can view the latest Chartwells primary-school menus below.
Questions about school meals
If you have a question about:
- menus
- dietary requirements
- allergies
- meal arrangements
- free school meals
please contact the school office.
Telephone: 0116 276 7761
Email: [email protected]
UPLOAD CURRENT MENUS
| External Resource/Organisation | Link |
| Leicester City Council — Apply for Free School Meals | Apply for Free School Meals |
| Chartwells — Primary School Menus | Chartwells UK |
| Chartwells — Medical Diets | Chartwells Medical Diets |
| Chartwells — Allergen information | Chartwells |
Related North Mead Pages
- School Day
- Pupil Premium
- Inclusion
- Contact Us
The Infant hall is used for meals at lunchtimes. School dinners are cooked on the premises – a wide choice of healthy foods are provided. Please see our menus at the bottom of this page.
If you wish, your child may bring a packed lunch to school. The packed lunch should be in a lunch-box labelled with your child’s name. We ask that glass containers, fizzy drinks, sweets and chocolate are not brought to school. We also have children at school with nut allergies, therefore we have a ‘nut-free’ policy. Please check foods carefully.
School dinners must be booked on the MCAS app. To book a school meal for your child you will need select your child’s name, select dinner menu and select from the meals on offer each day. You will need to ensure that you have money on your child’s dinner account before ordering, please speak to the school admin team if you have an issue.
If you do not book a meal you must provide a meal from home, if you wish to cancel a booking you need to inform the school by 10am on the day, otherwise it will still be chargeable.
We aim to provide as much choice as possible with our menus.
Our menu is a 3 week menu cycle so we can accommodate favourite dishes, but we are able to try some new exciting ones. This gives children plenty of choice throughout the terms. All our dishes are tried and tested in schools as we value pupil feedback.
Our new menus are available from the link at the bottom of the page.
As part of the government’s plan, from the beginning of September 2014 every state maintained school in England will need to provide a free school meal for all pupils in reception, year 1 and 2.
This follows a recommendation in the school food plan, an independent review published in July 2013, which aims to bring about a significant increase in the number of children eating good food in schools. This initiative is a major reform, which will have a positive impact on children.
We have been serving every eligible pupil a hot meal from Thursday 28th August 2014.
A two course school meal costs just £2.05 for a paying primary pupil. Why not ensure your child has a healthy, nutritious two course school dinner. If you think your child might be entitled to free school meals contact the council on 0116 454 1009 for more information or visit free school meals.
At North Mead we offer Halal meal options. Please see the menu below for more information.
Click on the link to view our Halal certificate.
Medical Diet Responsibility Promise v1
Please read the Medical Parents Guide here: Medical Diets Parents Guide v1
If you need to advise Chartwells of your child’s medical dietary needs please complete the following form: Medical Diet Request Form v1_01JUN20
You may also need to include evidence for the request: Medical Diet Evidence Support Form v1
Once a menu has been devised for you to agree, you will be asked to approve it using a form like this: Medical Diet Parent Menu Approval Form v1
You can read the Medical Diet Policy here: Medical Diet Policy v1
Together We Make A Positive Difference