School Meals

By registering your child for our school milk scheme they will receive a 189ml (third of a pint) carton of semi-skimmed milk every day. This is delivered fresh and chilled to their classroom every day.

How much does it cost?


Thanks to government subsidies, school milk is free for all under-fives and is subsided at around £15 a term for children aged five or older.

Why should I register my child?


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 long gap between breakfast and lunch so children stay focused.

Find out the top ten reasons to drink school milk at Cool Milk

How do I register my child?


If your child is under five:

1. Go to www.coolmilk.com or pick up a form from school.

2. Just register by a Tuesday for your child’s free milk to start the following week.

3. Free milk will continue until the Friday before your child’s fifth birthday. You will receive a payment request three weeks before this time- if you wish for your child to continue to receive school milk simply make a payment.

If your child is over five:

1. Go to www.coolmilk.com or pick up a form from school.
2. Pay Cool Milk online, over the phone, at a local PayPoint or by cheque in instalments to suit you.  If registering online you can pay straight away, if using a registration form you will need to wait to receive a payment request.
3. Just pay by a Tuesday for your child’s milk to start the following week.

How do I find out more?

Visit www.coolmilk.com or contact Cool Milk directly on 0844 854 2913.

Snacks for children in school

The new standards for all food served in schools came into force in January 2015. This makes it clear what may and may not be served at lunchtime, and similarly at other times of the school day. 

The standards do not apply to parties, celebrations to mark religious or cultural occasions, or at fund-raising events.

To be consistent in our message to children about healthy eating, at Avenue Primary Academy, we apply the same standards to food that children bring into school from home.

Some of the main points from the standards that apply to children bringing snacks to school

• Only vegetables and fruit with no added salt, sugar or fat (Avenue is a ‘nut-free’ school, because of many children with severe allergies to nuts, and some seeds are also allergens).
• No savoury crackers, crisps, breadsticks, cakes, biscuits, pastries or desserts (these are allowed at lunchtime as part of a healthy packed lunch).
• No confectionery, chocolate or chocolate-coated products (this also applies at lunchtime).

Therefore, we allow children to bring in fresh fruit or vegetables. We also allow products such as school bars, fruit flakes, fruit peelers, so long as they do not contain added sugar (including honey).

Dried fruit can contain a high percentage of sugar, but so long as there is no added sugar, this is allowed. Some parents may decide that the high sugar content is likely to exacerbate dental issues and decide this is not for their child.

Note that all of our Early Years and KS1 pupils are provided with a piece of fruit or vegetables each day (eg an apple, tomato, banana) as part of the Infant Free Fruit scheme.

Many of the fruit products come in small packets. It is essential that children put these in a bin and do not drop them on the playground or in the building. If we develop a problem with litter, we will ban these products on the basis that they create a mess around the school.

To avoid children taking sandwiches, etc. from lunch boxes during the morning, all snacks must be taken to classrooms and children are not allowed to go to their lunch boxes until lunchtime.

Registering for Pupil Premium or free school meals does not mean your child will have to eat the school lunch – there are other benefits. We offer extra support to children who are registered – for instance, help with the cost of school trips or music lessons. Please see the section in our ‘Statutory Information’ on our website for details of how we spend the money.

In the 2019 to 2020  financial year, Avenue will receive £1,320 for each child registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

Parents who are in receipt of one of certain benefits may qualify for free school milk and/or meals.

Please use the Free Schools Entitlement Checking Service at www.fsm.lgfl.net to find out if your child is eligible for Pupil Premium. If you are, then this will begin the process for registration.

Your child may qualify for Pupil Premium and free school meals if you receive:
•    Income Support
•    Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
•    Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
•    Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
•    The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
•    Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
•    Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
•    Universal Credit

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are entitled to receive a free school meal every day. This is funded through two different funding streams:

•    Pupils eligible for Free School Meals
•    The Universal Infant Free School Meals

The school may only receive funding for one of the above for each pupil. Registering your child for Free School Meals has extra benefits (see Free School Meal Entitlement – next).

Children in the juniors eligible for Free School Meals are also entitled to receive a free school meal every day, and for all other junior children, the cost is £2.30 per day. This must be paid for in advance on Arbor.  Contact the school office if you require login details.