Catering
The school has two canteens on site, which offer plated hot meals at lunchtime, along with a range of sandwiches, hot and cold snacks and a range of drinks. A selection of hot and cold 'grab and go' products are also available, including from the 'Food Truck' on the music quad.
CUCINA took over as the school's catering partner from September 2022. Information about their food offer is below. There will be regular weekly offers for students, and a number of themed days throughout the year. The video linked below offers a welcome to our 2026 cohort of year 7 students :
https://impactfood.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Year-7-Welcome-Video-1.mp4
As well as a range of 'grab and go' items, students have the opportunity to eat a plated hot meal in school. This can be served, either on a proper plate, with knife and fork, or in a reusable lunchbox, which a child can bring from home. These 'munchboxes' may be taken outside. School provided plates and cutlery must remain in the top canteen.
Pricing for November 2026 - It has unfortunately been necessary to increase the canteen prices. The average price increase is 2.7%. This has not been applied on all products - there will be no increase on healthier options such as fresh fruit and salad.
Vanguard Learning Trust has worked hard with Cucina, our outsourced caterers, to keep this increase as low as possible. Food inflation is currently running at 3.7%, with predictions that it could go as high as 9% by the end of the year. Our valued canteen staff have also been awarded an increase of 4.1% to the national minimum wage. This wage increase is outside the control of both the school and Cucina.
The school cannot afford to run the canteen at a loss, hence why it has unfortunately been necessary to pass some of these increases to parents, through a tariff increase.
The Free school meal allowance will continue to be £3.02 as will the price of the 'main meal deal'. The daily hot meal is home made, nutritious and represents the best value item to buy in the canteen. Families in receipt of the FSM allowance are asked to speak to their son or daughter about how to make best use of their allowance.
With an eye on the sustainability agenda, we also made the decision in September 2022 to discontinue the supply of single-use plastic bottles in school. Every student is now responsible for bringing their own reusable and refillable bottle, which can be replenished either at the free water fountains, or via the Generation Juice machines in the canteens. We are proud that this decision prevented over 18,000 single-use plastic bottles going to landfill in the Autumn 2022 term alone.
Do you think you may be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM)? If so, fill in this google form here to check your eligibility. The Government is extending FSM eligibility from September 2026 to anyone on universal credit. Please apply if you think you may be eligible. From January 2026, Free School Meal students receive a daily allowance of £3.02 to enable them to purchase food items. The allowance is valid all day, and at all 3 serving points.
Under the ‘pupil premium’ funding scheme, making a claim for FSM helps both your family and the school, as Vyners receives an extra £1455 per pupil, per year for every student registered for FSM. Pupil Premium funding enables us to support your child in many different ways, including funding participation in school trips and other activities, as well as funding specific intervention sessions.
* Please note that the School Meal Menu may be subject to change without prior notice.
