We work hard at Torfaen School Catering to make sure our menus are tasty, nutritious and value for money. We also strive to be inclusive and be able to cater for all our pupils.
We realise that one menu does not fit all, and our standard menu will not be suitable for some pupils. We are confident in catering for pupils who have specific medical requirements, such as allergens, coeliac disease and diabetes. We also cater for pupils who require a different menu for religious, ethical or cultural reasons such as vegetarian or pescatarian.
We have systems and procedures in place to ensure that those who require a special diet are catered for safely. This includes employing a dietitian to process these, working closely with parents/guardians and NHS colleagues.
Medically prescribed diets
To request a special diet, please complete the special diet request form for medically prescribed diets and return it to us. Please make sure section B is completed by a medical professional or you have enclosed a copy of a recent medical letter confirming the diagnosis and required diet.
The requirement for medical confirmation is to protect the health of your child and ensure that there is a medical need to restrict their diet. Providing a very restricted diet without medical need could potentially be harmful to the child without the support of a health professional. We cannot process your request until we have received this.
Once we have received the form, you will either receive a special diet menu for your child by post/email or we will contact you to discuss your child’s requirements in more detail before sending a menu out to you. Please allow up to 3 weeks for your menu to arrive.
Once you have received your child’s menu, we ask that you contact us to confirm that you are happy with the menu and discuss a start date. We will then provide a copy of the menu to the school cook and discuss your child’s requirements with them.
To protect the health of your child, please provide your child with a packed lunch from home until you have confirmed the start date.
Fussy eaters
Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate requests from parents/guardians regarding children who dislike certain foods or who are fussy eaters. We advise you/your child to manage this themselves through their choices at the counter. The salad bar runs alongside the hot meal of the day and always offers a wide selection of foods that will hopefully enable your child to select something that they like, should they not like the meal of the day.
Special diets for religious, cultural or ethical reasons
We will always make every effort to cater for your child. If your child is following a vegetarian, meat or fish-free diet solely for religious, cultural or ethical reasons there will always be an appropriate choice on our standard menu. Should you require a vegan menu, please advise the office for this to be arranged.
Changes to dietary requirements
In many cases, children can outgrow allergies and/or no longer require a special diet. Please provide a letter or email to the catering office specifying the changes or confirming any change in requirements.
Children commencing on the milk or egg ladder
Unfortunately we can only provide a milk-free, egg-free or the standard menu. It is advised that any milk/egg reintroductions take place at home where you can closely monitor your child and any reactions they may have.
As your provider of school meals, we take catering safely for all pupils very seriously. Many of the children moving to Secondary School will be used to being catered for in our primaries previously using special individualised menus produced by our dietitian.
It is important to be aware that provision of food at Secondary School for those on special diets is carried out differently to what you may have been used to at primary school.
- The child’s catering record does not go with them to the Secondary School. So, our cooks need to know if your child has an allergy/intolerance or any other special diet need. Your child should approach the cook to advise them directly of any special dietary need. If you are not confident that your child will be able to do this themselves, please contact the Catering office and we can ensure this information reaches the cook.
- As Secondary School catering is café style with a wide variety of options (rather than one set hot meal as in primary), a special menu will not be produced. Instead our cooks will discuss and make arrangements with your child as to what can be provided/what they would like on an individual basis.
- A full allergen matrix is kept in all kitchens for use by the cook and available to your child. We are also happy to provide this for parents should they wish to use this at home with the pupil when guiding them on choosing safely.
- Nuts and Peanut Allergies. Our primary menus are free from all nuts and peanuts and primary menus do not include any ingredients with “may contains” nuts or peanuts. There are items sold at Secondary Schools that have a “may contains nuts/peanuts” warning. These are clearly indicated on the allergen matrix and/or can be highlighted by the cook on site. Our cooks are not allowed to supply any food with a “contains” declaration or a “may contains” warning to a pupil who has disclosed an allergy to that particular ingredient.
Torfaen School Catering are committed to making all reasonable adjustments to adapt and support pupils with a diagnosis of Autism in accessing school meal services. All our Catering Staff have received training in Autism Awareness. Please contact us for a copy of our policy "Catering in schools for pupils with a diagnosis of autism" and to discuss individualised support with the team’s dietitian.
We pride ourselves in our exceptional allergen management practices. A vast team effort is required, each unit with unique roles and responsibilities. This allows us to ensure ALL pupils can access safe food with confidence during the school day.
Training
Training and Retraining ensures everyone is aware of individual responsibilities.
Level 3 Allergen Management in Catering is undertaken by ALL Catering Managers and cooks. It is delivered by our dietitian/registered tutor who is educated in Food Allergy at Masters level, and externally accredited.
A two hour In-house allergen course is undertaken every 2 years by all staff (including those Level 3 qualified), again, delivered by our dietitian.
Training includes testing abilities to determine allergens from food labels and the allergen matrix. It also covers practical responsibilities such as checking of ingredients delivered to ensure no unauthorised substitutions, practical steps to prevent cross contamination and catering for those on special menus. All staff complete a written test so both attendance and understanding is evidenced.
Medical Confirmation of Allergies
We do not cater for self-diagnosed allergies. We have a duty of care to our pupils not to exclude major food groups unnecessarily that could impact growth/development. Further, we want to know parents are accessing support from health professionals to meet any nutritional deficiencies due to exclusions.
We also need our cooks to be focussed 100% on those with allergies, not distracted or side lined to deal with pupils who are fussy eaters with likes/dislikes/preferences which unfortunately can on occasion be presented to us as “allergies”. Those with diagnosed eating disorders or Autism will always be offered reasonable adjustments on an individual basis.
With parents express permission, our dietitian can directly access confirmation of allergies from the relevant health professionals, (often the same day), ensuring no barriers to timely and safe catering. There is no need for GP appointments or charges for medical letters in this instance.
Appropriate signage is displayed at every service point in our dining halls instructing pupils to ask our staff about allergens before ordering food.
Risk assessing catering for pupils with allergies
Primaries
Every pupil with an allergy or multiple allergies is managed by our dietitian. A conversation is had with parents and key details logged. Menus are written for these pupils for the cook to follow, along with a Confirmation Memo containing written instructions on safe catering.
Comprehensives
Pupils are encouraged to begin taking on responsibility for food choices. They are growing up and being prepared for the real world. Writing menus for these pupils is impracticable due to multiple food combinations on offer (primaries have set menus). Pupils are encouraged to speak with the cook study the Allergen matrix together to ensure safe choices. In transition from primary, the dietitian and/or parents often assist with this first conversation/introduction.
All packaged grab and go items served in our Comps (over 100) have full PPDS labelling compliant with Natasha’s law. Previous experience in food labelling management allows our dietitian to write these from scratch and amend on the same day if ingredients or brands change.
Back Office Checks
We work closely with our suppliers and software provider to ensure our records are accurate and any changes updated and communicated to our cooks in real time.
Wider school environment
Pupils’ exposure to allergens is not limited to the kitchen and dining hall in school. We work with headteachers when there is a question of managing exposure in the wider school – free milk provision, after school clubs, food from home, unavoidable spillages, school trips. This ensures school wide risk assessments are meaningful.