Lunchtime
Lunchtime at Heyes Lane Primary School is an important part of the school day. It provides children with the opportunity to enjoy a healthy meal, spend time with friends and take part in a range of positive social and physical activities in a safe and supportive environment.
We use lunchtime as a valuable opportunity to develop children’s social skills, promote healthy lifestyles and support wellbeing. Children can choose to enjoy a freshly cooked hot school meal provided by Trafford Catering or bring a healthy packed lunch from home.
Our Lunchtime Manager, Mrs Cody, and a team of experienced midday staff and teaching assistants work together to ensure that this part of the day is calm, inclusive and enjoyable for all children.
Lunchtime Activities and Play
During lunchtime, children can access a wide range of structured and free‑choice activities designed to meet different interests and needs.
We operate separate KS1 and KS2 playground rotas, which show the times and activities available each day. These rotas help ensure children have fair access to spaces and resources, while maintaining a calm and well‑organised lunchtime.
Alongside outdoor play, children can take part in creative activities using Mrs Sproston’s Art Space, which provides a supportive environment for artistic exploration. For children who find the playground a more challenging environment, we offer quieter spaces during lunchtime. The Lily Pad supports children in KS1, while Thrive in the Hut is available for KS2, giving pupils a calm, nurturing space when needed.
Across both playgrounds, friendship benches are in place to ensure that no child feels left out. These benches provide a clear way for children to signal that they would like someone to play with, and staff actively support positive interactions.
Children in Key Stage 2 also have access to our all‑weather running track on the school field during lunchtime, encouraging physical activity in all seasons. In addition, wider lunchtime opportunities are available through our Sports Coach, Toby Mullins. These activities must be booked by parents via ParentPay if they wish their child to participate. We also offer Stretch and Grow sessions for Reception children, providing a calm and age‑appropriate activity at lunchtime.
All zones and activities are fully supervised by teaching assistants and midday staff, who support positive play, inclusion and wellbeing throughout lunchtime.
Lunchtime Times
Early Years Foundation Stage (Reception) - 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and Year 2) - 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lower Key Stage 2 (Year 3 and Year 4) - 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Upper Key Stage 2 (Year 5 and Year 6) - 12:15pm – 1:15pm
School Meals and Costs
Children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically qualify for the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) Government Scheme, which means they are entitled to a free school meal every day.
Children in Years 3 to 6 can purchase a hot school meal at a cost of £2.70 per day (£13.50 per week). Payments are made via School Grid.
Free School Meals and Pupil Premium (Key Stage 2)
While all infants already receive free meals, children in Key Stage 2 (Years 3 - 6) may be entitled to Free School Meals based on family circumstances.
Registering for Free School Meals is extremely important. In addition to providing a free hot meal for eligible KS2 pupils, it enables the school to receive Pupil Premium funding, which helps us to support children’s learning, wellbeing and wider experiences.
Families are encouraged to visit the Pupil Premium section of our website for more information about how this funding is used to support children at Heyes Lane.
You can check your eligibility and apply online at:
SchoolGrid – Online Meal Ordering System
In January 2026, Heyes Lane Primary School launched SchoolGrid, becoming the first primary school in Trafford to pioneer this system.
SchoolGrid allows parents and children to choose school meals either in advance or on the day, up until 8:55am. Parents can order school meals for as many or as few days as they wish – it does not have to be every day. For example, a child may choose to have a packed lunch from home on two days and a school meal on three days over the course of a week.
One of the biggest benefits of SchoolGrid is the range of food choices available. Children enjoy having a say in what they eat and knowing what their meal will be in advance, which has had a positive impact on engagement and enjoyment at lunchtime.
SchoolGrid also allows us to reliably meet all dietary requirements across school. Food allergies and dietary needs are stored securely within the system, enabling us to work closely with parents to ensure children’s needs are met. This includes support for Halal, Vegetarian, Gluten‑free and Lactose‑free diets, as well as medical allergies. Working in partnership with families ensures that every child can eat safely, confidently and in line with their beliefs or needs.
If parents are experiencing any difficulty accessing SchoolGrid, please email the school office, FAO Mrs Cody and Miss Bartle. Mrs Cody will be able to support parents with access, and where needed, meal orders can be placed with children in school.
Parents of KS2 and Nursery children will need to ensure there is sufficient balance on their account when ordering meals.
Packed Lunches and Healthy Choices
Children may bring a healthy packed lunch from home if they prefer. We encourage families to include a balanced selection of foods that support energy levels and concentration for afternoon learning.
For ideas and guidance, the following websites may be helpful:
Nut‑Free School
Please remember that Heyes Lane Primary School is a nut‑free school. This includes all nuts and nut‑based products such as Nutella, peanut butter and nut cereal bars. Due to the severe allergies of some children, all snacks and packed lunch items sent from home must be completely nut‑free.
We thank parents and carers for their continued cooperation in helping us keep all children safe.
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