School Meals 

At Shirehampton Primary School, we encourage healthy eating and want lunchtime to be an enjoyable part of the school day. Our meals are freshly prepared by our catering provider, Aspens, and offer a varied, nutritious menu each day.

Free school meals

From September 2026 Free school meals eligibility is changing, with the scheme being extended by the DFE, so more families will be entitled to this benefit.  We are taking this opportunity to encourage parents to apply for free school meals prior to the start of the 2026/2027 academic year. 

Please be aware that the universal protection that was in place from 2018 is also being removed, so in some cases children may no longer be eligible for free school meals. This will only be if your circumstances have changed and you no longer receive universal credit.

We want to make sure that we are providing your child with the best education and support we can. Healthy school food can help pupils establish healthy habits for life and help to improve pupils’ readiness to learn. 

You may be entitled to receive free school meals if you are in receipt of certain benefits or support. You could also raise additional pupil premium funding for our school to fund support like extra tuition, additional teaching staff or after school activities.

Apply for Free School Meals

Please click here to apply for Free School Meals: Free school meals

Subsequent rechecks of your eligibility will be carried out annually to assess whether you continue to be eligible for free school meals.  

Aspens- In the Mood for Good Food!

We are Aspens Services, a market-leading contract catering company and specialist school meal provider.

We only work in the education sector so we know what our customers want.  Mixing this knowledge with an understanding of what’s hot in the food world sparks creativity and excitement in our chefs. Our kitchens provide delicious home cooked school food each day and cater for individual dietary requirements.

We make sure that our Food Festival school lunch menus are packed with comfort dishes and, at the same time, we help pupils to take their first steps with new tastes to explore.  

We don’t just provide food, we play our part to educate children and raise awareness about nutrition, food and where it comes from, so that they can make informed and mindful choices.  Feeding our future.

Our Menu

How we support your child's diet

All children need a nutritious, balanced meal to grow and meet their full potential.

School meals need to be compliant with the School Food Standards. These were created to help children develop healthy eating habits and ensure that they get the energy and nutrition they need across the whole school day. Therefore, parents should be able to trust that the school’s menu has been developed based on scientific nutrition research.

Click on the link to find out more about the Government’s School Meals Food Standards: https://www.gov.uk/school-meals-food-standards

Special diets 

Special diets are an integral part of our catering provision, whether as a result of an ethical or religious belief or a food intolerance or allergy.  To register any special diets as a requirement please complete and return the special diets form to the school as soon as possible - you can ask the school office for a form. We are able to offer a vegetarian, Vegan or Halal alternative on an individual basis. Please ensure the office is aware of the requirement so the catering team are able to meet this request.

Our Planet

We work closely with our clients and suppliers to be as environmentally friendly as we can. By making lots of small changes, we can make a big difference. We care about the future and continue to focus on responsible sourcing, using seasonal produce, increasing our focus on plant-based recipes, making our menus more sustainable, keeping waste to a minimum and reusing and recycling to reduce the impact we have. 

Packed Lunches

Children are welcome to bring a healthy packed lunch from home.

We ask parents and carers to support our healthy eating ethos by providing a balanced lunch wherever possible.

We are a NUT FREE school.

Dietary Requirements

If your child has any allergies, food intolerances or specific dietary requirements, please contact the school office so that appropriate arrangements can be made.