Kings Oak Primary Learning Centre operates a strict NO DEBT policy in relation to school meals and breakfast club. As we all know, nobody takes their child to well-known high street restaurants and expects them to be given food without paying; the same applies at school.

If debts are incurred, then the school budget has to pay for them. This means that money which should be spent on the children’s education is used to pay for debts incurred by parents/carers. Every parent/carer will agree that this is unacceptable and we request that all parents give this policy their full support.

Children will not be provided with a school lunch unless it is paid for, except those that are entitled to free school meals. If a parent/carer genuinely forgets to pay in advance, the school may grant a debt allowance of one meal. However, this debt must be paid the next day and future meals must be paid in advance before any meal is provided.

If the debt is not cleared, parents/carers must either provide a packed lunch or take the child home for lunch. In a case when a debt payment is not received nor a packed lunch provided, the school office will phone the parent/carer to ask them to come to school with the money to pay immediately. Otherwise they must provide sandwiches before lunch time or arrange to take their child home for lunch.

Therefore, we ask that if you know your child will be having dinners and/or attending breakfast club, you top up your child’s account using school gateway prior to returning from the summer break to ensure all accounts are in credit and meals paid for in advance. Where some parents have previously been allowed to fall three or four meals behind on payments, moving forwards, this will not be allowed.  As explained previously, McDonald’s expect payments before service and so do we.

Thank you for your understanding and to all of those who always make sure their child’s account is in credit.

Further to yesterday’s message, school dinners will be £2.75 per meal from September (£13.75 per week).