School Meals

At Norbury Manor Primary School, we recognise the importance of healthy, nutritious food and a positive lunchtime experience.

Pupils can enjoy a freshly prepared school meal or bring a healthy packed lunch from home. We encourage children to make healthy choices, try different foods and enjoy eating together.

Our School Meals

Our school meals are provided by Olive Dining, a family-run catering company specialising in providing food for primary and secondary schools across London and the South East.

Olive Dining's approach is centred on freshly prepared, healthy and flavoursome food. Meals are prepared using fresh ingredients, with menus designed to support children's health and wellbeing. Their chefs continually review recipes with a focus on reducing fat, salt and sugar while ensuring that meals remain enjoyable and appealing to children. Olive Dining

Menus provide children with a variety of foods and flavours, including dishes inspired by different countries and cultures. Halal and other dietary requirements can also be catered for. Olive Dining uses rotating menus to provide variety and introduces children to different foods throughout the year. Olive Dining

Olive Dining also promotes:

• Freshly prepared meals using high-quality ingredients.
• Healthy choices, supporting pupils to develop positive eating habits from an early age.
• Variety and worldwide cuisine, encouraging children to experience different tastes and cultures.
• Plant-based choices as part of its menus.
• Theme days and special menus linked to events throughout the school year.
• Seasonal and responsibly sourced ingredients, with a focus on reducing waste and environmental impact.
• Pupil engagement and feedback to help develop enjoyable school dining experiences. Olive Dining

We want lunchtime at NMP to be an enjoyable part of the school day where pupils can eat well, socialise with their friends and develop healthy attitudes towards food

Find out more about Olive Dining

Allergies and Special Dietary Requirements

Keeping children with food allergies safe is extremely important to us.

Olive Dining has specific arrangements for children with food allergies, intolerances and special dietary requirements. The company states that its aim is to manage these needs effectively so that children can eat safely within an allergen-controlled environment and still have access to an enjoyable range of food.

Please Tell Us About Your Child's Allergy

Parents and carers must inform the school if their child has:

• a diagnosed food allergy;
• a food intolerance;
• coeliac disease;
• a medical condition affecting what they can eat;
• a prescribed adrenaline auto-injector (AAI), such as an EpiPen or Jext;
• a special dietary requirement; or
• any change to an existing allergy or dietary requirement.

It is important that the information held by the school is accurate and up to date.

If your child requires a special diet, please contact the School Office. We will provide the appropriate information/forms and work with you and our catering provider to ensure that your child's requirements are understood before the appropriate meals are provided.

Allergens in School Meals

Olive Dining's catering teams are trained and supported in managing allergens and specific dietary requirements. Their approach is intended to ensure that pupils with additional dietary needs can participate in school meals safely and confidently.

Parents and carers should never rely solely on a general school menu when making decisions about a child's allergy. If your child has an allergy or medically required diet, please ensure that this has been formally communicated to the school so that the correct individual arrangements can be made.

Nuts and Food Brought into School

Some pupils at NMP have serious food allergies. To help us reduce the risk of accidental exposure, parents and carers must not send nuts or foods containing nuts into school, including in packed lunches and snacks.

This includes obvious nut products such as:

• packets of nuts;
• peanut butter and other nut butters;
• cereal or snack bars containing nuts; and
• cakes, biscuits or confectionery containing nuts.

We ask families to check food labels carefully when preparing packed lunches and snacks.

Although we take reasonable precautions to reduce risk, we cannot guarantee that the school environment will be completely free from allergens. For this reason, our approach combines reducing avoidable risks with individual allergy management, appropriate staff awareness and clear information from families.

If your child's allergy changes, they receive a new diagnosis or their medication changes, please inform the School Office immediately so that their records and arrangements can be reviewed.

School Menus and Themed Events 

Autumn Menu

Theme Day Menu

Cost of School Meals

All pupils at Norbury Manor Primary School can currently receive a free school meal.

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils are entitled to the Government's Universal Infant Free School Meals.

For the 2026/27 academic year, the Mayor of London's Universal Free School Meals programme continues to fund free school meals for primary-aged pupils in London who are not otherwise covered by government funding. London City Hall

There is therefore currently no charge to parents and carers for a standard school meal at NMP.

Benefits-Related Free School Meals – Please Still Register

Although all pupils at NMP can currently receive a free school meal, it is still important for families receiving Universal Credit to register their child for benefits-related Free School Meals.

From September 2026, all children in households receiving Universal Credit can qualify for Free School Meals, regardless of household earnings. Croydon Council advises families to register or re-register through their child's school so that eligibility can be checked under the new arrangements. Croydon Council

This is important because benefits-related Free School Meal registration may be linked to additional support and funding.

If you receive Universal Credit, please contact the School Office so that we can help you check and register your child's eligibility.

You can find further information on the Croydon Council Free School Meals page.

Healthy Packed Lunches

If your child brings a packed lunch to school, please provide a healthy, balanced lunch that will give them the energy they need for learning and play.

A healthy packed lunch should ideally include:

• a main item, such as a sandwich, wrap, pasta or rice;
• a source of protein, such as chicken, egg, cheese, beans or hummus;
• fruit and/or vegetables;
• yoghurt, cheese or another suitable dairy or dairy-free option; and
• water as the main drink.

Please limit foods that are high in sugar, salt or saturated fat, such as sweets, chocolate, cakes, biscuits and crisps. Fizzy and sugary drinks should not be brought to school.

Please Remember – No Nuts

To help protect pupils with serious allergies, nuts and foods containing nuts must not be brought into school, including in packed lunches and snacks. Please check food labels carefully when preparing your child's lunch.

Packed lunches and water bottles should be clearly labelled with your child's name

The NHS Healthier Families – Healthier Lunchboxes page is the one I'd use. It is parent-friendly, visual and practical, with lunchbox recipes, healthier swaps and simple tips such as adding vegetables, choosing fruit, varying breads and getting children involved in preparing their lunch. nhs.uk

NHS Healthier Families – Healthier Lunchbox Ideas

Packed Lunch Guide for Parents - Haringey Council

Drinks

Water is the preferred drink at school.

Children should bring a named water bottle to school each day and are encouraged to drink water regularly throughout the school day.

Water bottles should contain plain water only. Please do not send fizzy drinks, energy drinks or other sugary drinks to school or include them in packed lunches.

Please ensure your child's water bottle is clearly labelled with their name and taken home regularly for cleaning.