The policy at Rothley Park Kindergarten is to adhere to the 1990 Food Safety Act. Rothley Park Kindergarten provide and serve food for children on the following basis:

• Breakfast

• Meals

• Snacks/drinks (throughout the day).

 

All- Inclusive Meal Package

During the early years, every aspect of a child’s day is carefully planned to meet their social and development needs.  Mealtimes form a huge part of this. Children eating together play a crucial role in meeting various educational aspects of the EYFS framework. Children benefit from shared experiences with their peers, helping others and communicating. 

Ofsted regulations for food and drink in nurseries emphasise healthy, balanced and nutritious meals, snacks and drinks for children. We obtain information about children’s dietary needs, preferences, and allergies and have a suitable area for food preparation. All practitioners involved in food preparation and serving are trained in food hygiene. By adhering to the rules set out by Ofsted, we can reassure you as parents that your child/ren receive the best possible nutrition and that their health and safety are protected. 

Nursery practitioners are also trained in managing allergens, protecting all children by meeting legal requirements set out by our Local Health and Environment Agency, therefore, they all comply with Food Safety Regulations. Our policy is to not accept any home prepared packed lunches/snacks as safety is paramount to all children, which includes food allergies as food should be stored, prepared and presented in a safe and hygienic environment. 

We hold a 5-Star Rating scores on Door (certificate displayed in the reception area and outside nursery kitchen). 

We offer an all-inclusive meal package where all meals are provided by our two caterers. These meals are nutritionally balanced, cooked fresh daily, and cater to a variety of dietary needs. We also supply alternatives to cow’s milk for children who require them. This package offers great value for money and ensures that children receive well-prepared, healthy meals without the need for parents to supply food from home (sealed and labelled shop bought food only). 

When children attend school, they will typically be receiving hot meals as part of their daily routine. Our nursery meals follow a similar structure to help children feel comfortable and confident when transitioning to school settings.

 

Mealtime Experience and Child Development

Mealtimes are important to children's development. The food they eat at mealtimes gives the vitamins, minerals, and protein they need to grow and stay healthy. It gives them energy and makes them feel good. Eating habits and attitudes learned in childhood can last a lifetime.

We aim to make eating enjoyable and to create a complete dining experience that appeals to the children and encourages them to appreciate the food. Children are encouraged to make a positive contribution by helping to lay the table with placemats, plates, cups, and cutlery, as soon as they are able. Children also learn important self-serve skills, which are essential for building independence and preparing them for the routines and expectations of school.

Children can also contribute by creating their own centrepieces or laying the table with flowers and their personalised placemats. 

Our mealtime routines are designed to encourage children's self-help, independence, and choice. Equipment used must be appropriate to the age and stage of development and designed to promote children’s independence.

The opportunity for personal, social and emotional skills to be developed and the opportunities to provide dialogue to support language and communication skills is also very valuable.

 

Home-Packed Food

At our nursery, we aim to ensure that all children receive nutritious, safe, and appropriate meals while in our care. Parents who wish to provide their child with their own food must adhere to the following policy guidelines to promote health, safety, and inclusivity.

 

General Guidelines

All provided shop bought food will need to be checked by a member of staff before it can come onto the premises, so please be aware that this may delay your drop off. 

1. Healthy and Nutritious: Parents must provide food that supports a balanced diet and is suitable for their child’s age and stage of development.

2. Packaging and Allergen Safety: All food provided must be shop bought, unopened, and in their original packaging so that allergen information can be clearly checked by staff.

3. Choking Hazards: Natural foods such as fruit must be cut into age-appropriate sizes to minimize choking risks. 

4. Airborne Allergies: Children with packed meals will sit at a designated table with other children who have also brought their own food to reduce airborne allergen exposure.

5. Restricted Items: Parents must not send in chocolate, crisps, sweets or any other unhealthy snacks as part of their child’s packed food.

6. Nut-Free Policy: As part of our allergy management plan, no nuts or nut-based products should be included in packed meals. No items where label states “may contain nuts” is prohibited on our premises. 

 

Breakfast Provision

• We can only serve cold breakfast food, in the form of pre-packed cereals. For breakfast provided by yourselves the nursery can supply only cow’s milk.

• We will not heat up bread from home e.g. to make toast

• If a child requires an alternative milk or milk substitute, parents must provide this daily.

 

Snack Provision

Snacks must be healthy and able to be stored in your child’s bag until needed. Two snacks per day should be supplied. 

 

Food Preparation and Storage

1. No Refrigeration: We are unable to refrigerate any food provided by parents. Therefore, parents must include ice packs in their child's lunch box if food is needed to be kept at a safe temperature.

2. No Heating: We are unable to heat any food provided by parents.

3. Ready-to-Eat Format: All meals and snacks must be sent in a ready-to-eat format, suitable for the child’s age.

4. Utensils & Containers:

• The nursery will not wash or clean any containers or lunchboxes.

• The nursery will not provide utensils; parents must include necessary cutlery in their child’s lunchbox. 

• Parents will need to provide their own flannels throughout the day to wipe their child after every snack and meal. We will not be held responsible for any loss of cutlery bought from home. 

• No food (including pre-packed dried) can be left or stored on the nursery premises at any time. Sealed, clearly labelled food packages with original label will need to be brought in each day to avoid contamination. 

 

Food Tasting

When we have food tasting we will try to advise you beforehand so that you may purchase suitable foods for your child to try. 

Should you not be able to supply food or we have not advised you in enough time then your child will be excluded from the food tasting session and provided with a suitable alternative activity. However, if you would like your child to join in on the day then a chargeable rate of £5.00 will be invoiced to you accordingly. 

 

Liability & Responsibility

• The nursery accepts no responsibility for the quality, safety, or temperature of any of the food provided by parents.

• Parents are responsible for ensuring that the food remains fresh and suitable for consumption throughout the day.

• Failure to Provide Food: If parents fail to provide suitable pre-packed food for the day:

• They will be required to either collect their child and take them off the premises so they can source food, or

• The nursery will supply food and invoice the parent at the non-booked rate of £20 for a full day and £15 for a half day, as opposed to the pre-booked or all-inclusive rate.

 

Additional Considerations

• Food Sharing: Children are not permitted to share food to prevent cross-contamination and allergic reactions.

• Healthy Drinks: Only water or milk is permitted in nursery; no fizzy drinks, fruit juice, or flavoured milk. Nursery will provide water and milk to all children.

• Monitoring & Compliance: Nursery staff reserve the right to discuss concerns with parents if food provided does not comply with these guidelines.

• We have strict policies regarding allergies and dietary restrictions to prevent cross-contamination and ensure the safety of all the children.

• Multiple lunch boxes in our setting will pose danger to your children. The 14 allergens are - celery, cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats), crustaceans ( such as prawns, crabs and lobsters), eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs ( such as mussels and oysters), mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, Sulphur dioxide and sulphites (if the Sulphur dioxide and sulphites are at a concentration of more than ten parts per million) and tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, pecan, pistachios and macadamia nuts) dioxide and sulphites.

• Weaning babies on solids – we cannot warm jars, or any other food provided from parents.

We are concerned that for a parent to provide a daily nutritionally balanced healthy packed lunch, snacks and tea is not economically viable, if not impossible. It can also cause upset between children when they see other foods being presented to their friends. We therefore encourage all parents to take up our food package, which also ensures children’s safety from allergens alongside being the most healthy option for them.  

By following this policy, we aim to create a safe and inclusive dining environment for all children. Thank you for your cooperation in supporting the health and well-being of our nursery community. It is important that parents are comfortable in placing their/child/ren in a safe environment where no risk is taken regarding food welfare. 

 

Keeping Costs Low

We have worked hard to keep our contribution costs as low as possible. For families who choose our All-In Package, these contributions are even more competitively priced and offer excellent value. 

If you have any concerns or would like to discuss your options, we welcome open and confidential conversations. Our aim is always to work with families to ensure that every child thrives in our care. 

Thank you for supporting our nursery’s vision for excellence. 

 

Policy review: Annually July 2026