School Meals

2024-25 Menu:

School Meals - Price list for Sept 24

We operate a cashless system.

ParentPay allows parents to pay for school meals online and track what meals are being purchased

Click here for more information on school cashless payments.

To find out, please visit the Manchester City Council website, Free School Meals Section and complete the application form (link below). This will generate a reply email to you, the parent/carer and to the school:

Manchester City Council Free School Meals

Should you need assistance completing the application form or access to a computer please contact our Finance Team on:

• Tel – 0161 445 8053
• Email – finance@thebarlowrchigh.co.uk

The Benefits Service ensures that state schools provide free school meals for families who have qualifying incomes and live in Manchester. If you live outside Manchester and your child goes to The Barlow, you should contact your local council. You can claim free school meals for a child who lives with you and who you are responsible for (for example, you receive Child Benefit for them) as long as you get one of these qualifying incomes:

• 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 guaranteed 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 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
• You can also claim if you are an asylum seeker

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll also qualify for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme. Food vouchers may also be available through the Household Support Fund. Find out more by contacting your local council.

Our Cashless School Meals System:

When they start school, each of our pupils has their fingerprint registered. When they want to buy food in our dining hall, pupils simply place their finger on a scanner at the point of sale; a display shows the server the pupil’s name, class and current cash balance held within the system. Fingerprints are used to recognise each individual pupil, hold cash balances, record cash spent and cash received, record where money is spent, on what food, on what date and at what time of day.

Requesting ParentPay login details:

If you have misplaced your unique Parent Pay Account activation details, these can be requested by contacting the school:

admin@thebarlowrchigh.co.uk

About our school meals:

• Fresh fruit, salad and vegetables are available every day
• All meals are prepared daily in our kitchens using fresh ingredients
• Our menus are screened by a Nutritionist to ensure that they meet nutritional standards
• A selection of fruit juice and bottled water is available every day
• Breakfast is available each day

Here’s a taste of some of the foods available on our menus:

• Freshly made sandwiches with baguettes and speciality breads
• Pasta, stir-fry and curry dishes
• Jacket potatoes with various fillings
• Wide range of traditional main meals
• Selection of homemade desserts
• Fruit boxes

Healthy School

The Barlow RC High School works in close partnership with Manchester Healthy Schools to help tackle health inequalities and improve the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

We have successfully completed the annual health check and secured the Silver Award for 2023 - 2024.

As part of our Healthy Schools drive we encourage all pupils to be mindful of following healthy routines with regard to food & drink consumption, sleep hygiene and screen time.

As part of our daily bag checks on the school gate, staff check that pupils are adhering to school policy.  Pupils must not bring in to school more than one of each of the following items: chocolate bar, packet of crisps, packet of sweets. Pupils found to have an excess of this limit will have the goods confiscated. Those with a significant number of inappropriate items in their possession may be deemed to have them for the purpose of selling and will be sanctioned in accordance with the school behaviour policy.

Healthy School Policy – Energy Drinks

The consumption of energy drinks (Lucozade, Red Bull, Powerade etc.) on school premises is banned, a measure which is in-line with the majority of schools nationally.  A variety of studies have been published recently which highlight the fact that the stimulants (e.g. caffeine and high levels of sugar) that are contained within energy drinks can cause loss of concentration, anxiety and irritability amongst pupils.

Furthermore, as our school has ‘Healthy Schools Award’ status, the Governors and staff believe that allowing energy drinks is contradictory to the aims and objectives of our policy.  We are extremely conscious that some of our pupils have become part of a culture where energy drinks are consumed as part of their everyday diet.  To combat this issue, we ask that pupils only consume the following healthy drink options in school: water, flavoured water, fruit juice or milk.  Please note that water is freely available to all pupils at break and lunchtimes.  Fizzy drinks are also prohibited in school.

Any pupil found in possession of energy or fizzy drinks will face sanctions in-line with the School’s Behaviour Policy.  Governors and Staff appreciate the support of parents/carers in enforcing this ban for the health and wellbeing of our pupils.