From January 2025 all school catering has transferred to being in-house.
Specific queries about school food can be addressed to the School Catering Manager Jasmine Keen who can be contacted on keenj@goldington.beds.sch.uk. Alternatively, you may wish to contact the School Business Manager, Mike Birchall at birchallm@goldington.beds.sch.uk or the Principal galbraithf@goldington.beds.sch.uk.
From January 2025 the emphasis on food at Goldington should be on excellent food of high nutritional value that is competitively priced. A copy of the School Food Standards can be found here.
Breakfast & Break Time
Breakfast will be funded for students eligible for Free School Meals and is available for all other students at a subsidised cost.
The aims of providing breakfast are:
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to provide the energy and nutrition required by the mind and body for active learning
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to improve attendance, concentration and learning in the classroom
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to provide positive examples of healthy eating to create a foundation for lifelong healthy eating habits
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to enable children to socialise, listen and talk in a relaxed atmosphere
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A variety of hot and cold items are available to be purchased from the kitchen during breakfast and break time.
School Meals
School meal accounts need to be in credit in order for students to receive a school meal. Accounts may be credited online via ParentMail, which includes the option to have a Pay Point card. Cash and cheques are no longer accepted at the kitchen.
A daily free school meal allowance will be allocated to eligible students and this can be used to purchase food only. Any spend over the daily allowance and/or the purchase of drinks must be paid for by the student from their topped up account. Please note that any underspend of the free school meal allowance will not be carried forward.
Packed Lunches
Children may, if parents wish, bring a packed lunch. Glass containers, however, should not be brought to school. Lunch boxes and plastic containers should be clearly marked with the child’s name and class. Packed lunches may contain wrapped food, which must be consumed in the dining hall. Goldington Academy is a nut free school and for the safety of individuals with allergies, we request that nut products are not included in children’s lunch boxes.
Free School Meals
From September 2024, children who are eligible will be automatically signed up for free school meals.
In Bedford Borough, 21% of children receive free school meals. This means they get a choice of healthy, hot meals, with cultural, dietary and religious requirements catered for, every school day, at no cost to the family.
Some schools also offer reduced rates for school trips, clubs, after school care, holiday activities and uniform to children who receive free school meals.
During some school holidays, Bedford Borough Council may provide families receiving income-related free school meals with supermarket vouchers.
Free school meals are worth around £470 per year, per child, and they are known to help children thrive as well as:
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help children be ready to learn, contributing to improved behaviour and learning
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boost attainment and attendance
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help children achieve their potential and increase a child’s lifetime earnings
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offer the child the opportunity to develop social skills by sitting with friends whilst they eat
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help families save on food costs
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improve diet quality and helps combat childhood obesity, saving the NHS money in the long term
The school will also receive additional funding to cover the catering cost of free school meals, as well as school funding grants, such as the Pupil Premium, based on their take up of free school meals.
For children in year three and above at a school in Bedford Borough, free school meals are available to pupils / families who receive one of more of the benefits listed below.
The child must attend a school in Bedford Borough, although they may not live in the borough.
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Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earning from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
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Income Support
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Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
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Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
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Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
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The guarantee element of Pension Credit
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Child Tax Credit (provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
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Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
How do I get free school meals for my child?
Most families no longer need to apply for a free school meal for their child(ren). Instead Bedford Borough operate a free school meals auto-enrolment check scheme.
What does “auto-enrolment” mean?
Bedford Borough Local Authority are aware that there are some children in the local authority who are eligible for free school meals but are not getting them. This new auto-enrolment scheme means more of our children will get free school meals, along with the many benefits they offer and a better start to life.
Since September 2024, Bedford Borough have attempted to determine which children are eligible for free school meals based on the information the Council already holds about Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support and National Insurance number information.
However, they may not currently hold the data they need to check eligibility for all children in the Borough, so there may still be some occasions where we would encourage parents to still apply.
Although they will carry out regular auto-enrolment eligibility checks, there may be occasions where some families need to apply for free school meals between checks, for example:
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if your circumstances change unexpectedly
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if you move into Bedford Borough
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if you think your child might be eligible but you have not heard from Bedford Borough
If you think that your child might be eligible and Bedford Borough checks may not have found this, you will need to complete an application.
If your child is eligible for free school meals, then they may also receive financial support for school trips, visits, experiences, etc.
Please use the form below to request a free school meal check:
Apply for free school meals - Contact Information - Section 1 - Bedford Borough Council