Meal Booking Notice

Please note school meals can only be ordered and paid for through ParentPay. The school office is unable to accept menu orders directly.

The kitchen only prepare enough meals for the children that have lunch ordered. If your child does ask for a meal at lunchtime, which has not been ordered for them, the kitchen staff will provide them with a jacket potato and you will be charged for this if you pay for your meals.

Please may we remind you that it is the parent's responsibility to ensure their child has the food they like and that meals are ordered for the following week.

All meal bookings should be made via our parentpay system (please click on link provided).

Meals must be booked by midnight every Thursday for the following week's lunches, irrespective if you pay for meals or not.  Meals can be booked and paid for further in advance if you prefer.  Please note that we are unable to accept orders after this time.

Unfortunately, we are unable to cancel meals if your child is absent, as food orders will have already been placed.  Parents are able to cancel meals booked beyond the current week and it is the parents responsibility to cancel any bookings if their child is absent longer term.

Nut Allergies

In Bridlewood we have always had a nut free school because we have a small number of children who are highly allergic to nuts. Recently some children have brought nuts in their packed lunches. We would be very grateful if you could leave out nuts or peanut butter in sandwiches as even proximity to nuts could trigger anaphylactic shock for some of our children.

Food Hygiene Rating

We are delighted to announce that for a seventh year our kitchen and catering facilities have been awarded a 5* Rating following an unannounced inspection by the Food Standards Agency.

Free School Meals

From September 2026, there will be 2 categories of benefits-based free school meals –

• Eligible targeted: this covers children in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less.
• The children eligible under the ‘Targeted’ category will benefit from Holiday Activities and Food provision (HAF).

Children may also be eligible for Targeted Free School Meal’s if their household is in receipt of one of the below benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guarantee element of 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 four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• No Recourse to Public Fund

• Eligible expanded: this covers children who are in households receiving Universal Credit with annual household earnings exceeding £7,400.
• The children eligible under the ‘Expanded’ category will not benefit from Holiday Activities and Food provision (HAF)

Transitional protection has ended:

• If your child has previously been in receipt of benefits-based Free School Meals, you will need to re-apply before September 2026. Your child will not automatically continue to receive Free School Meals from September 2026; you must process a new eligibility check.

Universal Free School Meals:

• Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will automatically receive a universal infant free school meals regardless of the family income.
• However, families with children in these year groups should make an application for benefits-based free school meals if they meet the criteria listed above. If you are eligible for targeted free school meals, additional funding is available to the school.

For further information, or to make an application for Free School Meals, please visit the Swindon Borough Council website, or ask at the school office.

Click on this link to make an application - Apply for free school meals

Swindon Borough Council process applications.