Civica Cashless Catering

Dear parent/carer,

We are pleased to update you that the Education Payment Portal and Cashless Catering system is now up and running.

There are many benefits to using the system, which we believe you will find incredibly useful, such as:

• You are able to pay securely using any mobile device, laptop or PC for all activities your child undertakes in school.
• You are able to see a dashboard for your child which shows information such as their school meal catering balance, lists of booked school trips and more.
• You are able to see your child's school meal account, which includes information such as balances, payments and meals - purchased history.
• You are able to set up an auto top-up for school meals, so your catering balance always stays in credit.
• You are able to give online consent for your child to go on trips and undertake activities.

To find out more about the benefits of the system and how to register, visit the council's dedicated webpage linked below:

Civica Education Payments

If you have a query in respect of the credit/ debit adjustment, please email the Catering Team at cashless.catering@torfaen.gov.uk OR email Anna.Richards@torfaen.gov.uk

Special Diets in Primary School

The Torfaen School Catering team work incredibly hard to make sure their menus are tasty, nutritious and value for money whilst they strive to be inclusive and be able to cater for all our pupils.

The team realise that one menu does not fit all, and the standard menu will not be suitable for some pupils. They are confident in catering for pupils who have specific medical requirements, such as allergens, coeliac disease and diabetes. Torfaen Catering cater for pupils who require a different menu for religious, ethical or cultural reasons, such as vegetarian or pescatarian.

We have systems and procedures in place to ensure that those who require a special diet are catered for safely. This includes employing a dietitian to process these, working closely with parents/guardians and NHS colleagues.

If you think your child requires a special diet, please complete the form below and return to specialdietrequest@torfaen.gov.uk

Free School Meal Information

Free school meals have changed!

The Free School Meals scheme (eFSM) requires eligible parents and guardians to apply but with the rollout of Universal Primary Free School Meals (UPFSM), all children in primary school in Wales will now receive free school meals.

Apply for free school meals for your child

Overview

If you are the parent or guardian of a child in school, they may be eligible for free school meals.

If your child is in primary school, this would include one free lunch a day. For children in secondary school, this would include daily allowance to pay for their lunch.

The information about who receives free school meals is private. 

Apply for eFSM to receive other support

You should still apply for eFSM if you’re eligible, even when the rollout of UPFSM means your child already receives free school meals.

This is because:

• You may be eligible for other support, such as the School Essentials Grant.
• Your school could get more funding.

Eligibility  

You may be eligible if you are a parent or guardian of a child in school, and you receive one of these benefits:  

• Income Support
• Jobseeker's Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance (Income-related)
• Child Tax Credit (you are not eligible if you also receive Working Tax Credit)
• Pension Credit
• Help under Immigration and Asylum Seekers Act 1999
• Universal Credit

If you receive Universal Credit, your household earnings must be less than £7,400 a year after tax. This does not include any income from benefits. 

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS/ SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY GRANT