Many parents can be anxious about lunchtimes. It is often a big change from Nursery as children begin to eat their lunch in the Main Hall then play outside. For the children who have been in our Nursery at Prince Edward, it is less of a change as they have already begun to eat their lunch in the hall if they attended full days.
We make sure the children start using the Hall when there are just FS2 children in the Hall and it is quiet. They are able to get used to it with longer to eat and more lunchtime supervisors with them. All members of the FS2 teaching team are also in the Hall at this time for the first few weeks to make sure the children are settled.
When they go outside, the FS2 children all wear a special yellow tabard (the same as they would have in the FS Yard) so the lunchtime supervisors and other children know to look out for them. The children will play on the MUGA and the main yard.
We usually find that the children are fine and enjoy this part of the day once they are eased into it in this way.
You will be given menus in advance so you are able to see what the choices are for each week. Don’t worry if there is one item for a meal that you child doesn’t like, they get to choose if they want it or not eg. If they don’t like ketchup and its says fish fingers, chips and ketchup they can say no ketchup!
Meat in school is not Halal so if your child is only allowed Halal meat please be aware of this when ordering dinners. We have a list of dietary requirements and check this as we do the dinner register but the best way to check your child is getting the right meal is to sign up with them. The menu is always displayed in the classroom so you can check what it is that day. If we feel your child has signed up for the wrong one we will choose a more suitable option with them and let you know.
Children sign up for their chosen dinner each morning in the classroom. They use their name card and place it on the correct colour on the board. Children will then need to write their name on the board so they get the correct dinner. Don’t worry if they can’t write their name, they can copy at first. We do this so the children get daily name practice, especially at the beginning of the year.
Allergies: Taylor Shaw can cater for allergies but they need a signed letter from the doctor. Once they have have this they are able to put together a suitable menu for you child. You will need to provide sandwiches until this is in place so it is best to tell us now if there are any allergies. We can only cater for allergies not food preferences.
We would advise that you start your child on school dinners from day one. When they first start they will only be doing half days in school so if they don’t like it you’ll be feeding them again soon. It can save you nearly £10 a week by choosing school dinners, that’s £390 a year! We find that most children are fine and enjoy the dinners, even children who can be fussy at home try and enjoy a school dinner when they see their friends all having one.
Sometimes there are special menu days, such as The Queen’s Birthday, Chinese New Year and Bonfire Night. Look out for notes.
Sandwiches– if your child brings sandwiches then they must comply with the Healthy Schools Policy so contain healthy foods only. If children bring chocolate bars or sweets they will bring them home. The same is true of fizzy pop and sugary drinks.
We are a Healthy School and hold the Sheffield Healthy Early Years Award.
FS2 Transition at Prince Edward 