Nut-Free School

• We are a nut-free school. No nuts or products containing them should be brought onto the school site. We have pupils and staff with severe nut allergies, and even small traces can cause a life-threatening reaction. Please check food labels carefully before sending snacks or packed lunches into school. Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe.

Citrus Allergy

• Some pupils and staff have a severe citrus allergy, particularly to oranges. If your child brings citrus fruits, such as oranges, satsumas or clementines, into school, they must be pre-peeled to reduce the risk of airborne citrus oils, which can trigger an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals. Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe.

Our Catering Partner – Aspens Services

We are delighted to work with Aspens Services, a leading school catering company with extensive experience in providing high-quality meals for children.

Aspens prepares fresh, nutritious, home-cooked meals using quality ingredients. Their varied menus include traditional favourites alongside dishes inspired by cuisines from around the world, with options to meet individual dietary requirements and manage allergens safely.

Together with Aspens, we are committed to providing enjoyable, healthy school meals that help every child thrive and make the most of their day. 

Dinner Menu and Costs

Our choices are based on a 3 week rolling menu. Parents make their choices online with their child in the Arbor Parent Portal App.

The cost of a dinner is £2.90 for per child per day. This is paid for in Arbor.

Choosing Meals

To select your child's meals:

1. Log in to the Arbor Parent Portal or App.
2. Select your child.
3. Go to Meals.
4. Choose the meals you would like your child to have on the available dates.
5. Save your selections.

Paying for Meals

If your child pays for school meals:

1. Log in to the Arbor Parent Portal or App.
2. Navigate to Payments or Meals.
3. Add credit to your child's meal account using the available online payment options.
4. Please ensure your account remains in credit to avoid any interruption to meal provision.

Universal Infant Free School Meals

Children in Reception, Year 1 and 2 are entitled to a Universal Infant Free School Meal, funded by the Government. This provides families with a nutritious meal for their child each day while also offering a significant financial saving over the course of the school year. Children in these year groups are expected to have a school meal unless an alternative arrangement has been agreed in advance with the SENDCos for medical reasons.

Changes to Free School Meal Eligibility

From September 2026, all families receiving Universal Credit will be eligible to apply for Free School Meals (FSM). This change removes the previous income threshold and means many more children will qualify.

As well as helping families save money on school lunches, Free School Meals ensure children receive a healthy, nutritious meal each day, supporting their wellbeing, concentration and learning.

Please note: Families will still need to apply for Free School Meals. If you receive Universal Credit and believe you may be eligible, please contact the school office with your details so that we can check your eligibility.

Even if your child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 and already receives Universal Infant Free School Meals, we encourage you to apply. Registering your eligibility may enable the school to receive additional funding to further support your child and our wider school community.

If you have any questions, please contact the school office, who will be happy to help.

Apply for Free School Meals here

Children with Allergies

If your child has a food allergy as they have a medically identified condition, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can work with Aspens to ensure their needs are met safely. Please complete the form below and return it to office@allertonceprimary.com. We will then forward it to the Aspens Special Diets Team, who will review the information and put the appropriate arrangements in place.

Please choose options from the Allergy Menu only for your child in the Arbor Parent Portal App.

Packed Lunches

Our Packed Lunch Policy is currently being drafted as part of our commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and supporting the wellbeing of all children. Informed by Leeds LA guidance on packed lunches, the policy aims to provide clear expectations while supporting families to make healthy food choices. During the first half-term, the draft policy will be shared with families as part of a consultation process, giving parents and carers the opportunity to share their views and provide feedback. This consultation will help ensure that the final policy is practical, inclusive and reflects the needs of our school community before it is implemented.

Healthy Snacks at School

What children eat during the school day really matters. Nutritious snacks help children to:

• Stay focused and ready to learn
• Keep their energy levels steady throughout the day
• Build healthy eating habits for life

Traffic Light System

To support families in making healthy choices, we use a simple traffic light system:

🟢 Green – Bring every day These are the healthiest options and should be the main choice for breaktimes.

🟡 Amber – Bring 2–3 times a week These are fine in moderation but should not be everyday choices.

🔴 Red – Never bring These items are not suitable for breaktimes in school.

Safety Information

To keep all children safe:

• Please cut small foods such as grapes and strawberries lengthways to reduce the risk of choking.
• Children must not share snacks.
• Please do not send nuts or citrus fruits into school.

Caring for the Environment

We are proud to be a sustainable school and encourage families to:

• Reduce single-use plastics such as wrappers and packaging
• Use reusable containers where possible.

Thank you for following the guidance we have supplied - your support makes a definite difference to children’s learning, health and well-being at school.

Birthdays and Bringing Treats into School

At ACE, we love celebrating birthdays and making children feel special. However, we kindly ask that families do not send in food treats, party bags or gifts to share with the class.

This helps us to:

• Promote healthy lifestyles and encourage positive eating habits.
• Keep all children safe, including those with allergies or dietary requirements.
• Ensure fairness, so every child can celebrate without placing pressure on families.
• Maximise learning time by avoiding disruptions during the school day.

Children are very welcome to wear a birthday badge from home if they wish, and staff will ensure their birthday is recognised and celebrated in an age-appropriate way.

Thank you for your support in helping us create a safe, healthy and inclusive school for everyone.

Milk

As you may be aware our school has a milk scheme, administered by Cool Milk.  School milk provides your child with essential nutrients such as calcium and protein, for strong, healthy teeth and bones. It is also rehydrating and energy boosting, helping to bridge the gap between mealtimes so children stay focused.

School milk is:

• FREE for children under the age of five.
• FREE to children receiving or entitled to free school meals in key stage 1
• Subsidised for all other children in primary education.

School Milk Please click here to order milk for your child.

Healthy School Status

We are proud to continue to hold Healthy Schools Status, demonstrating our commitment to promoting the health, wellbeing and personal development of all our pupils.  Our most recent re-assessment visit took place in June 2022, when assessors met with pupils, parents, governors and staff and reviewed evidence of our work in supporting physical health, mental wellbeing and PSHE education.  We were delighted to achieve a successful re-assessment, with the school also being recognised as both a MindMate Friendly and PSHE Friendly setting.  The full feedback report from the 2022 visit is attached below.

Healthy Schools Status Report 2022

Bagel Buddies

Food Ambassadors

Children at ACE love food and we want our children to have ownership over their lunchtime.

Our Food Ambassadors are a group of children in Years 4,5 and 6 who are passionate about improving our school meal provision and who act as champions for food in school. 

They monitor our school meals as well as speaking to their peers before feeding back to our catering team.  They encourage children to make healthy choices in packed lunches and to work together to create a lunchtime environment where we all enjoy eating together.  They speak with senior leaders and are supported to take actions to bring about improvements. 

Eating healthy food helps us to love, learn and flourish, impacting positively on wellbeing, readiness to learn, attainment and achievement.