ParkwoodSchool Lunches
School lunches are free, as a result of the London Mayor's pledge. Find out about our lunches below:
As a school we have adopted a family dining service as an approach to improve the lunchtime experience for all our children. Family dining allows children to eat in groups with children of all ages. It encourages older children to support younger children and so fosters positive relationships between children throughout the whole school.
At Parkwood being part of a community is an integral part of our school. Belonging within a team and showing respect are values which we believe should be evident at all times of the day, including lunchtimes. Instead of a canteen approach to serving dinners where children queue up for food, family dining allows children the opportunity to sit at a table straight away, to have food served by older children under the guidance of a staff member and to eat in a sociable way. The children also enjoy the opportunity to sit with staff, to chat and share a tasty meal together.
The children eat alongside children of different age groups making it a very civilized dining experience! The food is served to the table and then the older children will serve this to the other children. These older children are trained how to serve food so they are always safe when doing this, they are also be supervised during the service.
Family dining provides the opportunity for all children to really get to know each other and also for us as a community to enjoy our lunch in a calm, pleasant and enjoyable way. At the table, children have the hot meal alongside bread and salad which is available for all. Desserts are served after the hot meal.
We have a wonderful catering team who specialise in providing healthy, nutritious and delicious food with plenty of variety and all food allergies and dietary requirements are catered for. To help ensure the meal choices are what the children enjoy we review the menus with our school council. This gives the opportunity to influence future menus with our catering team's advice and support. For those children who decide they would like packed lunches they will also eat in the hall, alongside those eating school meals so that as a school community we enjoy a shared lunchtime experience.
See below for an example of a school menu.
The school is able to cater for children with allergies. It is a nut free zone due to the allergies of current students. If your child has a food allergy and you are concerned about their safety at school, please make an appointment with the Head teacher who will be able to help with your concerns.
If you think your child may be eligible for Free School Meals, please come to the school office where our staff will be able to help. Alternatively, follow this link to the Hackney eligibility criteria to find out more.