School meals

All of our school meals are cooked on the school premises by our experienced team of catering staff using high quality, fresh ingredients. All meals adhere to the healthy schools scheme and we cater for a variety of intolerances and allergies.

Prices are £2.20 per day for Primary students (excluding KS1) and £2.40 per day for Secondary students (Year 7 to Year 14). Please pay via ParentPay or send all money to the school office in an envelope clearly marked with the learner's name and class, either at the start of the week or on the day the meal is required. All cheques must be made payable to The Edith Borthwick School.

 

 

After a thorough and careful review of our current pricing structure, it has become clear that the existing
prices no longer adequately cover the increasing costs associated with ingredients, staffing, and the overall
provision of high-quality meals. At present, our meal prices remain considerably lower than those of many
other schools in the region, but to continue delivering nutritious and well-balanced meals that support the
health and well-being of all our learners, a price adjustment has become necessary.

We fully understand and empathise with the financial pressures many families experience, and this
decision has not been taken lightly. We have explored every possible alternative to avoid increasing costs,
however maintaining the quality and sustainability of our meal service requires this change. Our
commitment to providing wholesome, carefully prepared meals remains our utmost priority, and we
believe these adjustments will enable us to uphold these standards.

To minimise the impact on families, we have decided to implement the increase in two smaller stages
rather than a single larger rise.

Primary learners
For primary learners, the price of a school meal will increase to £2.50 starting from 1st April 2026,
followed by a further adjustment to £2.75 on 1st September 2026.

Secondary learners
For secondary learners, the meal price will rise to £2.75 from 1st April 2026, with a subsequent increase to
£3.00 on 1st September 2026.

All students in Key Stage 1 (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) are entitled to Free School Meals under the Universal Infant Free School Meal initiative. Parents/Carers of learners in Key Stage 1 do not need to complete a Free School Meal application form however, there will be an annual requirement to complete a data collection form in order for us to report to the Local Authority.

All parents/carers of learners in Year 3 and above will need to complete an application form for the Local Authority to assess eligibility. If you feel you are entitled to free school meals, please visit the Essex County Council Website below or phone the school office for further information:

http://www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Schools/Schools/Pupil-Parent-Support/Pages/Healthy-Living-School-Meals.aspx

The school dinner menu runs on a three-week rolling basis. The menu as of Monday 23rd February 2026 is the spring term 2 menu:

Spring term 2 menu