All Islington students are entitled to free school meals and lunch at St Joseph’s takes place between 12.00 pm and 1.00 pm. Caterlink, our catering contractor, uses high quality, fresh local food which is then cooked in the kitchen by our own school chef, Sam. Your child will be cared for by the midday supervisors both in the dining area and the playground. If your child has a specific allergy or dietary requirement, please let us know by emailing the school at office@st-josephs.islington.sch.uk.
Of course, children are also welcome to bring a packed lunch if they prefer. We are a nut free school, so please ensure that there are no products with nuts in your child’s lunch. Please use a lunchbox or cool bag that is clearly labelled with your child’s name and make sure drinks are in leak proof plastic bottles (no glass please!).
At St Joseph’s, we believe that our children need to eat well in order to grow, develop and be healthy and active. We know that a healthy, enjoyable lunch gives children the energy and nutrients they need to learn and play at school. This is why we have designed our very own ‘Healthier Packed Lunches for Children’ leaflet. It provides information on how to pack a healthier lunch and follows the government’s packed lunch guidelines.
Register for free school meals
Islington is one of the few councils in England to offer free school meals for all nursery and primary pupils, but we need our parents to register their child for Islington’s Free School Meals grant. Please register here for Islington’s Free School Meals Grant.
Registering could raise an extra £1,345 per child for St. Joseph’s Primary School from central government to fund valuable support like extra tuition, learning assistants or after school clubs. If you do not register, St. Joseph’s may not receive this extra funding from Islington Council.
It would be beneficial to the school if parents who choose not to take up the opportunity of a Free Meal and would like to remain on packed lunches still complete the form.
Pupils Eligible for Free School meals who are unable to attend school
Our school kitchen is now fully operational, St Joseph’s will work with our caterers to provide meals or food hampers for those pupils at home who are eligible for free school meals under the national benefits-related criteria, (https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals) and who are not in attendance because they:
- are self-isolating
- have had symptoms or a positive test result themselves
- are a close contact of someone who has coronavirus or
- as a result of local lockdown arrangements
The guidance advises collection of food hampers at the school. Where parents are not able to attend themselves they can ask another family member (not isolating in their household) or a friend to collect on their behalf
