School Meals

The school’s catering service is provided by Taylor Shaw, caterer of choice for thousands of secondary school students across the UK.  

Taylor Shaw believe lunch is an integral part of the school day. When students sit down with friends, they cement relationships, enhance social skills, and replenish both their body and mind.  

Menus are exciting, nutritious, and appealing, served in a supportive environment designed to educate students about how they can make healthy choices to support their wellbeing and improve their ability to focus.  

Freshly prepared menus meet the Government’s School Food Standards and meet the bronze Food for Life standards.  

Healthy Eating Promotion  

Good nutritional choices are vital to students’ health, academic achievement, and wider performance at school. Our Healthy Swaps campaign encourages the uptake of healthier items by providing suggestions for more nutritious options that are readily available.   

Theme Days  

Keep an eye out for regular Theme Days and Pop Ups featuring fantastic flavours for students to try including Taste of Greece, May The Fourth Be With You and Veganuary! 

Allergen Management  

At Taylor Shaw, all colleagues are trained and up to date with allergen procedures and will provide accurate allergen information to your child. If your child has allergies, we would ask that they speak to catering staff for information so that they can be provided with the information they need to make an informed and safe choice - these staff members will be wearing a purple apron. 

Eating a School Lunch is Better for Your Child 

Did you know only 1% of packed lunches meet the nutritional standards that currently apply to school food?  Five reasons school lunches are better;   

1. They save time & money 

2. They’re nutritionally better than a packed lunch  

3. They promote a varied diet & encourages new tastes 

4. They support inclusivity, dining with friends  

5. They help academic attainment by being linked to improved concentration 

https://taylorshaw.com/ 

Arbor Pay Lunch Account

All catering purchases are made using a Lunch account and if you have opted out of the biometric fingerprint, a lunch card will be issued to your child. The college expects for the student to bring this card into school everyday to purchase lunch/drinks and snacks. This dramatically speeds up payment for food, reduces queuing, therefore increasing the time children have to enjoy their breaks. There is no cash taken in school.

All families are added to Arbor, so that they can put money onto their child’s Lunch Card account online through Arbor Pay.

We strongly advise that students are registered on our biometric system (please be assured that this information is only used to link their lunch account) as lunch cards can easily be lost and the Parent/Carer will be expected to purchase a replacement lunch card. Please contact the Front Office or email tru-enquiries@trumpingtoncc.org.uk if you need to purchase a new lunch card.

Free School Meals

Children who are entitled to free school meals can enjoy the new FSM Meal Deal; the students have 2 options:

Option 1: a snack at breaktime and main meal at lunchtime

Option 2: a main meal and a pudding at lunchtime. 

Please note that a drink is not provided as part of FSM. We encourage students to bring in a reusable bottle from home and they can use our water fountains to fill their bottle at break and lunchtime.

We welcome your support in ensuring that your child/children are aware of their options. Parents may wish to add to their child’s Student Card should children wish to have an allowance to purchase any extra items.

Did you know that just registering your child for Free School Meals means that the school gets extra money?

The Government is giving money to schools to help children from lower income families do their best. The funding is called ‘Pupil Premium’. For every child registered for this, Trumpington gets an additional £955 per year to support their progress.

If you are registered for Free School Meals you could also apply for assistance with the cost of

• Music Tuition
• School Trips
• School Trips Abroad

Eligibility Criteria: 

Important changes to eligibility for Free School Meals as of 1st September 2026:

If you receive Universal Credit, your child will be eligible for Free School Meals from September 2026.

You must apply through your local authority.

Benefits:

• Save around £480+ per child per year
• Nutritious meals every school day
• Support for your child's school

How to apply:

You can apply via your Cambridgeshire County Council - FSM or through the official GOV.UK Free school application page https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals

Your child will get free school meals if you receive any of the following: 

• Income Support 
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance 
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance 
• Child Tax Credit - but no element of Working Tax Credit - and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)) that does not exceed £16,190 
• If you are supported under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 
• Guarantee element of State Pension Credit 
• Working Tax Credit during the four week period immediately after your employment finishes or after you start to work less hours per week 
• Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400
• Universal Credit (Expanded award) (from September 2026)

Students can also register for Free School Meals if they get any of these benefits themselves. Come and talk to us at Student Services and pick up an application form or apply online. 

How does it work? 

• First check the list above to see if you qualify and you can visit the Cambridgeshire County Council Website for more information if needed

• Apply online via Cambridgeshire County Website here or you can come to Student Services and we will help you apply. Alternatively there is an application form you can use if you prefer. Applying for free school meals online is quick and easy, and no proof of entitlement is needed. On receipt of your application, Cambridgeshire County Council will check for entitlement through a secure Electronic Checking System. All that is needed is the claimant’s National Insurance number, their child’s details and details of their child’s schools. 

• If you want your child to have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime that’s great – they will get the free meal (save around £400 a year), extra benefits and the school gets £955 extra funding 

• If you don’t want your child to have the free school meals they continue as normal; as long as you qualify and are registered, the school still gets £955 extra.