Breakfast Club
Children can’t concentrate if they haven’t eaten a good breakfast before school. That’s why we run a free Breakfast Club from 8:00am to 8:30am. We offer students low-sugar cereals, fruit, toast and crumpets, plus a choice of hot and cold drinks.
Drinks
- Water is available for all students throughout the day for free from drinking fountains located on each floor.
- Juices, bottled water, and hot drinks are available from the school restaurant.
- High-sugar and energy drinks are banned at Blackburn Central High School.
School Meals
School meals are a great way for children to improve their eating habits and to learn about the social side of eating with their friends. Our school meals are tasty, healthy and meet children’s nutritional needs as set forth in the National School Food Standards.
Research shows that the average school lunch is healthier than around 9 out of every 10 packed lunches. That’s because good nutrition is all about eating lots of different foods. It takes planning and effort to do this with a packed lunch, but it’s far easier with a hot meal.
Fussy eaters often thrive on school meals – parents tell us their children have tried all sorts of foods in school that they refuse at home.
We provide:
- High-quality meat, poultry or oily fish
- Fruit and vegetables
- Bread, other cereals and potatoes
We DON’T provide:
- Drinks with added sugar, crisps, chocolate or sweets in school meals and vending machines
- More than 2 portions of deep-fried, battered or breaded food a week
- You can read more about school food standards on the School Food Plan website
Paying for school meals
We run a cashless catering system and use an app called Scopay, where parents top up their child's account and they then swipe their ID cards to pay for food at the till. If you haven't received a letter with login details for Scopay you can request a new one by phoning the finance team on 01254 505700. The app enables you to pay for other items in school, such as school trips and equipment, and also lets you see what your child has been buying in school.
Please see the guide below for more information on Scopay.
Scopay Guide
Free School Meals
Children are entitled to receive free school meals if they or their parents or guardians receive any of the benefits below:
- Income Support
- Income based Jobseekers 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 (if you’re not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an income less than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit - household income less than £7,400 (after tax and not including benefits)
Should I apply for Free School Meals?
Yes! Every child registered for free school meals increases the funding school can apply for, it also means we can access more resources for our children, such as laptops for remote learning, grants to provide one-to-one tutors, or other opportunities that can improve our students' education and life chances.
How to Apply for Free School Meals
If you think you might be eligible for free school meals, you can apply to Blackburn with Darwen local authority here: https://www.blackburn.gov.uk/schools-and-education/school-meals
If you are eligible, we will be notified, and your child will receive free school meals until they leave school.
If you need help filling in this form or would like information about making a claim, you can telephone for advice and information on 0845 070 1066. You can also call in at customer services at either Blackburn or Darwen town hall. For more information please contact reception.