School Meals

We are committed to promoting a healthy lifestyle to all our learners, including encouraging them to choose healthy options, which will provide them with the energy needed for learning, as well as growing. Due to our work with learners who suffer from anxiety about food, including eating disorders, we do not label foods as "good" or "bad" but explain that we should eat certain foods in moderation as part of a well-balanced diet. 

We ensure that the menus offer a variety of appealing dishes, enabling learners to easily choose a healthy option.  Learners are also encouraged to taste and eat new foods to broaden their horizons and open up new cuisines. Staff are encouraged to eat a school lunch and sit with learners in the dining hall as it is recognised that eating together is an excellent way to forge relationships.

Breakfast and lunch are provided on both sites. Freshly prepared sandwiches with a choice of filling (cheese, ham, or tuna) are available daily, as are jacket potatoes with a choice of fillings (baked beans, cheese, coleslaw, or tuna). Learners can help themselves to salad items (lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, onions, peppers and coleslaw) to accompany their lunch selection. At least 2 varieties of fresh fruit and fruit yoghurt are also available daily. We also ensure there is a daily vegetarian option.

At our Whelley site, light bite lunches are prepared onsite, with other meals being delivered fresh each day from a local café. At our Hindley site, all meals are cooked fresh onsite each day, with learners having the choice of a hot main course or a different light bite each day plus a daily dessert. We try to have a slightly different menu every week during each half term, reflecting what learners feedback to us. 

We celebrate the end of each half term with a "brunch lunch" and we also have a very hearty Christmas lunch offer dring the last week of autumn term.

All meals are provided free of charge to learners.

We endeavour to accomodate food preferences/sensitivies as well as intolerances and allergies, but we cannot 100% guarantee "free from" status because we have limited facilities for cooking. Food intolerancies and allergies are discussed with parents/carers and learners during their induction. (Please refer to our Policies and Procedures page for more information).

All our catering staff have completed the required Food Hygiene Award as well as Food Standards Agency's (FSA) Food Allergy & Intolerance training. We also achieved a Grade 5 Food Hygiene Rating during our last inspection in November 2025.