School Meals

The catering service at Irlam & Cadishead Academy is provided by Dalkia Ltd. 

Free School Breakfast 

We are delighted to offer a FREE Breakfast provision in school for our children. 

The breakfast provided by the National School Breakfast Programme runs from 8.00-8.25am and includes bagels and a variety of cereals.  

The National School Breakfast Programme is funded by the Department for Education and run by Family Action to support schools in England to provide children with a healthy breakfast at the start of the school day. 

Irlam & Cadishead Academy operates a cafeteria system with a wide choice of lunches. 

Students can choose from a freshly made lunch or a meal deal option consisting of a main meal and either fresh fruit, cake, or biscuit and access to water. 

The weekly menus consist of different types of food such as European, Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Italian, or Spanish dishes, and themed day menus.  

The Academy uses a biometric cashless catering system and students access their allocated accounts by using finger scan identification. Student accounts must be in credit in order to purchase food and/or drinks – as cash payments are not accepted. 

We use ParentPay as a convenient way for parents/carers to pay for meals and other items such as trips, revision packs etc. You can book and pay securely online using a debit or credit card. Paying online gives you the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your money reaches the school safely. 

Students are permitted to bring in their own packed lunch. Parents / carers are encouraged to provide packed lunches that have the right balance of food and nutrients and should not include crisps (or similar), chocolate bars (or similar), chocolate-coated biscuits, or sweets. Fizzy drinks are not permitted. 

Entitlement to Free School Meals (FSM) is subject to local authority approval (based on current legislation). The FSM allowance covers the cost of a standard meal and is only available at lunchtime. Additional funds should be added if your child wishes to purchase other items.   

Further information, and how to apply, for Free School Meals can be found on the Salford Council website or by telephone on 0161 909 6508. 

If your child is eligible for free school meals, it's worth registering them even if they are not going to have the school lunch. Schools receive a 'pupil premium' - an extra payment for each eligible child which they can spend on useful services.