Our in-house catering team at The Holgate Academy aims to provide tasty, healthy and nutritious meals for students.

As well as main meals, we offer daily ‘grab and go’ options and a sandwich meal deal.

We use the ParentPay cashless payment system. This system is a finger recognition system for the payment of dinners. It provides parents with an online website to access their child’s account to put money on and also to be able to see what their child is eating.

Our menus run on a two-weekly cycle each term:

Winter menu – week 1

Winter menu – week 2 

Winter menu – week 3

Free school meals

We know that having a nutritious meal during the school day is important for children’s health, wellbeing and learning – and we want to ensure that all children who are eligible for free school meals benefit from this scheme.

Your child may be able to receive free school meals if you get any of the following:

  • Income Support
  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
  • Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
  • Universal Credit – your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

If you think that your child(ren) may be entitled to free school meals then you can either apply online or download a form via the Nottinghamshire County Council website here, or phone them on 0300 500 80 80.

Once your application has been approved, the council will inform the academy and we can then start providing free school meals for your child(ren). We treat all recipients with complete discretion.

We are here to help, so contact us if you have any queries or concerns you would like to discuss directly with the academy.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties, your local food bank can help. To arrange a food voucher for your family, visit Bestwood and Bulwell Foodbank or for further support contact the academy(opens in new tab) to talk to someone in confidence.

We are fizz free academy

In the interests of student health, The Holgate Academy has banned all carbonated drinks. There is a significant body of evidence showing that fizzy drinks contribute to a wide range of medical conditions, from tooth decay to diabetes. Fizzy drinks, especially those containing caffeine and related substances, also have a detrimental impact on learning.

Students found with fizzy drinks will have them confiscated. If the drink is factory sealed, it will be returned at the end of the day. If the drink has been opened, it will be poured away. Students who fail to hand over a drink can expect to follow the Consequence Pathway.