School Lunch Menus

When your child tucks into a school meal you can be assured a lot of thought has gone into making it as healthy as possible.

We only provide food that is fresh, prepared daily and which provides everything your child needs to feed their bodies and their minds without compromising quality and choice.

Therefore, we have put into place the ingredients that make our school meals service one you can trust – from preparation to plate.

Check out the Gateshead School Meals page here, complete with menus: 

Primary school meals – Gateshead Council

Free School Meals

Every child in reception, year 1 and year 2 classes are now entitled to a free school meal under the government’s universal infant free school meal scheme. This is not means tested. For more information, click the link below:

Gateshead Council free school meals information

For a means tested application form, please click this link:

Means tested free school meals application

Free School Meals (FSM)

Your children may qualify for Free School Meals (FSM) if you meet the following criteria:

• You or your partner receive child benefit (for the child you are applying for), and
• the child is in full time education, and
• the child attends a Local Authority school. If your child attends Nursery, it must be a full day in a nursery run by Gateshead Council.

You and your partner must be in receipt of one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA – IB)
• Guarantee Pension Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA Income Related)
• Child Tax Credit – but not Working Tax Credit – and your income for Tax Credit purposes must be less than £16,190.00 (details are shown on your Tax Credit award notice)
• Working Tax Credit Run-on
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Universal Credit and your net earned family income is less than £7,400.

You must apply for FSM to get them, regardless of your circumstances. If you might qualify for FSM, it is important for the school that you apply – even if your children are in Reception, Yr 1 or Yr 2 (where they receive a school meal under the universal infant free school meal scheme). For every valid application, your child’s school can claim a large amount of extra funding.

Children who receive a free school meal are not singled out in any way. They cannot be identified by their friends and peers as a recipient of a free meal.

Apply now

If you meet the above criteria please fill in the free school meals form and return it to the school. If you qualify, the school will be informed and free school meals will be available immediately.
You must notify us immediately if your circumstances change and:

• you stop receiving one of the qualifying benefits;
• you stop being responsible for the child/children concerned;
• your Tax Credit entitlement changes
• you no longer give us consent to use the information you have provided.