Food Allergies, Special Diets and Medical Dietary Needs

Keeping Children Safe

At The Orchards School, the safety and wellbeing of our pupils is our highest priority.

We recognise that food allergies, intolerances and dietary-related medical conditions can have a significant impact on a child’s health and wellbeing. We work closely with families, healthcare professionals and our catering provider, Sodexo, to ensure that appropriate arrangements are in place for pupils requiring a special diet.

Many pupils at The Orchards have complex medical, sensory and feeding needs. We are committed to providing a safe, inclusive and supportive dining experience for all pupils.

Informing Us About Your Child’s Dietary Needs

Please let us know if your child has:

A food allergy
A food intolerance
Coeliac disease
Another medically diagnosed dietary condition
A medically required modified texture diet (such as mashed, minced or pureed foods)

This information helps us work with families and our catering provider to put appropriate arrangements in place and reduce the risk of allergic reactions or other dietary-related concerns.

If your child’s dietary needs change at any time, please inform the school as soon as possible.

Requesting a Special Diet

If your child requires a special diet, please:

Complete the Special Diet Information Form.
Provide supporting information from a doctor, consultant or registered dietitian where available.
Return the completed form to school.
Give consent for information to be shared securely with our catering provider, Sodexo, so that appropriate meal arrangements can be made.

Once the information has been received, it will be reviewed by the school and shared with relevant staff on a need-to-know basis to support your child’s safety.

How We Manage Allergies and Special Diets

The school works closely with Sodexo to:

Identify pupils with dietary requirements.
Ensure relevant staff are aware of special dietary needs.
Make appropriate meal arrangements.
Reduce the risk of allergen cross-contamination.
Support pupils safely during educational visits, trips and school events.
Review arrangements when pupils’ needs change.

Individual Planning and Risk Assessment

Where a pupil’s allergy or dietary need presents a higher level of risk, the school may develop:

An Individual Healthcare Plan.
An Individual Risk Assessment.
Additional control measures agreed with parents, health professionals and relevant staff.

These arrangements help ensure that appropriate support is in place both within school and during off-site activities.

Important Information

Can the School Guarantee an Allergen-Free Environment?

No.

Whilst strict procedures are followed to manage allergens safely, it is not possible for either the school or Sodexo to guarantee a completely allergen-free environment. Allergens are handled within food production areas and there is always a risk of cross-contamination.

Are We a Nut-Free School?

No.

Current best practice recognises that it is not possible to guarantee a genuinely nut-free environment. Instead, we adopt a whole-school approach to allergy awareness, education, risk assessment and appropriate control measures.

My Child Has a Packed Lunch. Do I Need to Tell School About Their Allergy?

Yes.

Some children may experience allergic reactions through direct contact with foods or by being in close proximity to certain allergens. It is therefore important that the school is aware of all significant allergies, regardless of whether a child has school meals or brings a packed lunch from home.

Data Protection

Information about allergies and dietary needs is classed as health information.

Parents and carers will be asked to give explicit consent before information is shared with our catering provider, Sodexo, so that suitable meal arrangements can be made. This information is handled securely and in accordance with data protection legislation.