If your child brings a packed lunch, please be aware that lunches are not refrigerated in school; you are therefore strongly advised to use an insulated lunch bag, placing an ice pack inside to keep items fresh.
There are particular considerations you should make if your child brings rice, pasta or noodles. Please read the guidance below, taken from the Essential Food Hygiene website: How to Store Cooked Pasta Safely (Without Risking Food Poisoning) | Essential Food Hygiene
Why is Cooked Rice a High-Risk Food?
Unlike many other cooked foods, rice carries a unique risk. Raw rice can contain Bacillus cereus spores — a type of bacteria that can survive cooking. Once rice is cooked and left at room temperature, these spores can multiply quickly and produce toxins that cause food poisoning.
Symptoms include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
This can happen in as little as 1 to 2 hours if rice is left out, which is why cooling and storing rice properly is essential.
Think cooked pasta is low-risk? Think again.
Just like rice, cooked pasta can turn dangerous if you leave it sitting around. We’re talking about a real food safety threat here — not just a soggy dinner. That’s because starchy foods (like pasta) are breeding grounds for Bacillus cereus, a bacterium that can cause nasty food poisoning if not handled properly.
If you wish your child to bring a hot meal of rice or pasta to school, you will need to heat the rice or pasta so it is piping hot and then put it into a thermos flask. WE DO NOT REHEAT THESE ITEMS IN SCHOOL.
If your child is going to eat cold rice or pasta, please ensure that you have cooked it thoroughly, cooled it quickly and then refrigerated it. When packing the lunch box, please ensure that you place the rice or pasta into an airtight container and transport it in an insulated lunchbox with an ice pack to keep it cool. WE DO NOT REFRIGERATE PACKED LUNCHES.
For the protection of our children with nut allergies, we do not allow nuts on the school premises. This means that children should not bring anything in their lunchbox containing nuts, including crunch bars and any chocolate spreads that contain hazelnuts (e.g. Nutella or similar own-brand products).
Please also remember that we do not allow sweets or chocolate bars in children’s lunch boxes: fruit or yoghurt is a healthier option. Sweets or chocolate found in lunch boxes will be held at the office, and can be collected at home-time to be eaten at home.
All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are eligible for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM). Many children in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be eligible for free school meals as well. The quickest way to apply is online at Free school meals, but please contact the school office for a paper form if that is easier for you.
As always, thank you so much for your support with this.
