All our menus are created using the School Food Standards as set out by the government and adhere to strict nutritional guidelines so you can be assured that your child is receiving a high quality meal.

Our menus are on a 3-week cycle which changes every 6 months. New dishes and recipes are trialled by our school catering staff and children before they are added to the new menu. This ensures that children are receiving a variety of meals that reflect the food served at home.

You can find more information about Derbyshire Catering Service.

Prices

Primary meals £3.25

This includes a main meal, dessert and a drink, which is excellent value for money. Most schools offer 2 choices of main meal or a jacket potato, vegetables, salad, fresh fruit, bread and drinking water are freely available every day. Themed lunches are offered on a monthly basis for primary schools to create a fun eating experience and to build interest in the food offering.

View the latest primary school menu.

The school food standards

The government standards are designed with schools in mind and aim to enable cooks and caterers to create imaginative and nutritious food.

The main aim is to increase the quality and take up of school meals. This develops a positive food culture within school and enables children to learn about good food choices, while providing them with enough energy to get them through the school day. The knowledge they gain will hopefully travel with the children into adulthood.

The standards focus around the 6 main food groups and the portion sizes which should be eaten.

As well as eating the right foods in the right portion sizes, the food needs to be prepared and cooked in a healthy way. For example trimming visible fat from meat, grilling or baking as opposed to frying, not adding extra fat when cooking, reducing sugar in baking and substituting with fruit, reading food labels to make better informed choices, making homemade versions of your favourite foods so you can control the ingredients and the way in which the food is prepared and cooked.

These standards are used by our menu development officer to create the delicious menus that your primary school age children eat. The secondary schools use the standards and are all slightly different to cater to each school and pupils' different tastes.

You can find more information and downloads from the school food plan.

Academies established between September 2010 and June 2014 are not required to adhere to the School Food Standards regulations. However, they should use the standards as guidance, and can sign up voluntarily.

Medical diets

If your child requires a tailored medical diet, you'll need to complete the digital medical diet application form.

Complete the digital medical diet application form 

Please follow the simple step-by-step instructions to create an account, and upload a copy of medical documentation relating to your child's condition.

We also have information about allergies and special diets.

Health, safety and hygiene

We have a robust health and safety system in place with risk assessments to protect all our customers and staff, to ensure a safe working environment.

The Food Standards Agency food hygiene ratings are very important to us. Almost all of our kitchens hold the 5-star mark.

We employ a team of professional trainers who are extremely experienced and highly skilled to deliver nationally recognised training by Highfield Awarding Body for Compliance (HABC).

Our catering service has emergency contingency meal provision. If a kitchen has to be closed the food is provided from a neighbouring school ensuring the children always receive a meal.