Catering
Independent Catering Limited
The catering is provided by Independent Catering Limited. Each day every student has a wide variety of food and drink options before school, at morning break and at lunchtime, served from the canteen and the Food Cube.
If you have any questions regarding the catering at the school, please contact Ian Bawn, the Trust's Director of Premises and Health & Safety via email.
Paying for items
The system we use relies upon students using a key fob as a form of ID, which they are given when they start. To order a replacement fob please click here. The students are required to place the fob/card on a reader at the point of sale. The student’s picture and name then appears on a screen for a till operator to verify. The till operator then selects the items the student wishes to purchase and the appropriate amount is deducted from the student’s account. The daily spend limit is currently set at £5.50. This can be adjusted if required by simply contacting the school.
We use Arbor for payments and money can be paid into a student’s account via the Arbor Parent App or Parent Portal, please see more details about topping up lunch accounts.
Free School Meal
Free school meals may be provided for your child if you are receiving certain benefits.
The free school meal allowance can only be used to purchase ‘Meal Deals’, please see the details for meal deals in the next section. This ensures that students always get the most for their allowance.
If you require any further information about Free School Meals, please contact the Information and Advice Centre
Apply for Free School Meals and further information
Meal Deal
FREE BREAKFAST PORRIDGE SERVED EVERY MORNING FROM 7:30 AM!
A meal deal is £2.75 and consists of:
Any one main from below:
Jacket Potato (one filling)
Large pasta with sauce
Large salad pot
Street food pot (varies daily)
Main Meal (lunchtime only)
+ Any meal deal dessert
Or - a Grab Bag for £2.75 which includes:
A sandwich, a cookie, one item of fruit and a small water
(Look out for meal deal stickers)
Special Diets & Allergies
Independent Catering deliver a tree nut and peanut free catering operation at Coombe.
The daily menus (see the next section) clearly show which of the 14 main allergens each dish contains, so students can confidently select meals free of any allergens.
If parents have alerted the school to any food allergens these will appear on the till screen when your child purchases a meal. The till operator cannot proceed with the sale until they confirm they have checked that your child's choice of food is free from their allergies. If a child has any concerns about what allergens a food item may contain they must discuss this with any of the Independent Catering Ltd staff. If you want to verify that the correct allergies are listed on the system please contact the school office via email.
If you want to know more about the ingredients in the food or if your child requires a special diet due to a medical condition, please do contact the school who will gladly arrange a meeting with you and the Chef.
The meat in the main meals is halal.
Natasha's Law
Natasha’s Law is a new allergen legislation from the 1st October 2021. It has been introduced to protect allergy suffers and giving them confidence in the food they buy.
Independent Catering will adhere to and implement Natasha’s Law. All Unit Managers have been trained on the labeling system.
Full statement from Independent Catering Ltd