School Meals
Catering for over 1400 students is not an easy task, but we have a team of skilled staff and we are committed to providing our students with a healthy balanced diet, offering a variety of tasty food at a reasonable cost. Our vision is to embed a healthy food culture which we hope will contribute to student well-being and academic performance.
The majority of our food is now made from scratch and sourced from local suppliers, using seasonal produce wherever possible. Our ingredients are ethically sourced, free range and sustainable, with farm assured meats. To promote healthy lifestyle choices, all our meals are compliant with Government Healthy Schools Standards, which includes removal of chocolate covered confectionary, restrictions on pastry and fried food and removal of sugary drinks/aspartame products.
We have 3 catering outlets all offering a wide variety of tasty and nutrious food.
Offering classic British cuisine.
Offering international dishes.
A range of Meditteranean dishes and jacket potatoes.
Please click on the link below to access the menu for the following week:
Catering at Benton Park School
Benton Park School is committed to the safety and welfare of all students. As a school we offer an in house professional catering service ensuring our students have access to a wide range of nourishing and healthy food throughout the day. This supports our students’ well-being and enables them to learn and develop effectively.
Cashless Catering System
We use individual student cards which can be swiped onto a card reader at the catering till to purchase food and drinks. When using a card, it is very important that care is taken of the student card and that it is kept securely.
Individual login details will be provided to parents/carers as soon as your child starts at Benton Park. Parents can pay for meals via the Arbor Pay website and the credit will be held on the student account. The system also allows you to track your child’s daily diet and support their healthy eating.
If a student loses their card or damages it beyond use, there is a charge of £2 for replacement cards which covers school costs of buying and printing the card.
Year 12 and 13 cards incorporate both an access facility, as well as the catering payment system.
Without sufficient funds on their catering account, students will be unable to access the school catering service and parents/carers will be required to send their child into school with a healthy lunch and any snacks required for the full day.
We recognise that on occasions parents/carers may forget to top up their child’s catering account and pay in advance for any food. We would not want any child to go hungry and so in this circumstance, school may grant a debt allowance of one meal deal at lunchtime. Following this allowance, parents/carers are asked to ensure that the account is paid in full by the next day and any future meals paid for in advance to ensure students have access to a meal on a daily basis.
Arbor Pay Account – Debt Management
Steps taken when a student’s account is in arrears:
- An email requesting parents to ‘top up’ is sent out. These are sent out on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
- If a student’s account goes over a negative balance of more than £2.00 a ‘Debt’ letter is emailed on a Monday.
- If the account is still in arrears after the 3rd ‘Debt Letter’ the child will no longer be served and parents/carers will have to organise a packed lunch for their child with the exception of those eligible for Free School Meals.
- Once the debt is cleared the student will then be able to access school meals again.
Where balances are in excess of £12 in debt, no further access will be allowed to the school catering facilities and parents/carers MUST provide adequate, healthy food for their child to access during the school day and failure to do so may be dealt with as a safeguarding matter. Access to trips and visits will also be limited should meal accounts remain in arrears. Any funds paid towards trips and visits will be used to fully clear lunch account arrears first.
It is recognised that the majority of families do ensure that all school meals are paid for in advance. We also understand that circumstances change for some families, over the course of their child’s time with us and any parents/carers experiencing difficulties in making payments for school meals are encouraged to contact the Finance team as soon as possible, to enable appropriate support to be provided.
Free School Meals
Students who are entitled to a Free School Meal will be able to access the catering service up to the value of their Free School Meal Allowance, currently £3.75. This will enable students to purchase a hot or cold meal deal at lunchtime. Students can use the allowance to purchase snacks, but this will limit what they are able to purchase at lunchtime. Parents/carers are asked to discuss this with their child to ensure they are clear what they are required to use the Free School Meal allowance on. Parents/Carers can if they wish, top up a child’s account to enable them to spend above their Free School Meal allowance. Any Free School Meal allowance, or part thereof, not utilised on the day it is allocated will be removed from the student’s account.
If parents/carers believe that their child may qualify for entitlement to Free School Meals they should contact their City Council for more details by searching ‘Leeds Free School Meals’ or ‘Bradford Free School Meals’. Parents/carers requiring support in making an application should contact the school Finance Office who will be able to provide assistance.
This allowance is a statutory right and it is important that you use it if you qualify.
Food Allergies
All our menus contain allergy symbols in line with Government regulations detailing whether the dishes contain any of the 14 specified allergens. Details of the descriptions we use on our menus are detailed below.
Our team are always happy to work with individuals to meet their specific medical and allergen needs. Many of the foods can be adapted and pre ordered. We encourage all our students and visitors to speak to the staff for guidance.
