School Meals at Newbridge Learning Community
At Newbridge Learning Community, we know how important a nutritious, balanced meal is for our students’ wellbeing, focus and energy throughout the day. That’s why we’re proud to work in partnership with Mellors Catering Ltd, an award-winning school meal provider with over 20 years of experience in education catering.
Since September 2020, Mellors has been providing freshly made meals every day in our on-site kitchen, using only quality ingredients sourced from local suppliers. Their menus are created with our students in mind — reviewed each term to reflect seasonal ingredients and shaped in consultation with our Student Council. Meals are not only tasty and varied, but fully School Food Standards compliant.
What’s Included?
- Fresh, homemade meals daily
- Prepared on-site by our own catering team
- Menus updated termly based on student feedback
- Balanced, nutritious, and pupil-approved options
You can view a sample menu and a Parent Welcome Pack from Mellors at the bottom of this page for more information.
Free School Meals
We’re pleased to share a new, easier way for parents and carers to apply for Free School Mealsonline.
If your child is not currently receiving free school meals and you believe they may be eligible, you can now apply quickly and securely using our new online system.
Apply for Free School Meals using the link at the bottom of the page.
- Current FSM recipients do not need to reapply. This new process is only for new applications.
- The application is completed online and only takes a few minutes.
- You’ll be asked to select your child’s school from a list that includes full names and addresses to avoid confusion.
- You can apply for multiple children at once, as long as they share the same parental responsibility arrangements.
- You’ll need to provide basic details for each child (year group, date of birth, and home postcode) to help match them to their school records.
- Applications are checked weekly on Tuesdays, except during census weeks when checks are done daily.
- If you need a quicker decision, please contact the school directly. We can request a one-off check using your National Insurance or NASS number, surname, and date of birth.
- Once your application is processed, the school will notify you of the outcome.
- Monthly rechecks are carried out for families who are not currently eligible, so there’s no need to reapply unless your circumstances change.
Paid Meals
For students who pay for meals, the cost from September is £2.30 per day (£11.50 per week). This offers excellent value and is often more affordable than preparing a packed lunch every day.
If your child attends a vocational provider (such as Bike Mech or Cast NW) and they do not receive Free School Meals, you’ll need to either:
- Pay £2.30 per meal for the days they attend, or
- Send your child with a packed lunch
Payment Arrangements
Due to reduced school funding, we kindly ask that all meals are paid for in advance. This helps us continue to provide high-quality catering without disruption. If you have any concerns or need support with payments, please speak to:
Leanne McQuade – Admin Officer
Ashley Martindale – School Business Manager
We are here to help and want every student to enjoy a healthy, satisfying meal each day.