School meals at Alder Community High School are provided by Chartwells. Students are able to purchase food in the dining room before school (7:45am - 8:20am), at brunch time (10:50am - 11:20am) and lunch time (1:20pm - 1:50pm).  

Special dietary information

Please contact the school office if there are any specific dietary requirements we need to be aware of. 

Packed lunches

If students prefer, they can bring a healthy packed lunch but this should not contain fizzy drinks.

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Cashless Catering and ParentPay

At Alder Community High School we use a biometric cashless catering system so that students can purchase their lunch and break-time snacks without the need to carry cash. Incorporating the latest technology, controlled by IMPACT software it reduces the risk of lost money and does not require students to carry a card or remember a PIN, it allows the system to recognise each individual student using their biometric image of their fingerprint, hold individual cash balances, record cash spent, cash received and record where money is spent on the food on any specific date and time of day.

Parents or carers need to put money into their child’s account in advance. Any amount of money can be paid in and the money spent on food and drink deducted on a daily basis. No cash is accepted at the till points in school. A daily 'spend limit' is automatically programmed into the system. This can be increased or decreased for an individual student by contacting the school office.  

Money can be paid into an account in two ways:

  1. The preferred method is online via ParentPay with a debit card or credit card. ParentPay activation letters are emailed to parents as part of the admission process. Contact the school office if you require a duplicate.
  2. Students can top up their account using cash at the payment machine situated in the dining hall. The payment machines accept notes and £2, £1, 50p, 20p and 10p coins (1p, 2p and 5p cannot be used).

No student will be refused a school lunch because they do not have enough credit on their account.  In this situation the student should make a member of staff aware so that arrangements can be made.

 

Free School Meals

From September 2026, all pupils in households receiving Universal Credit will qualify for free school meals. If you receive Universal Credit, your child is now likely to be eligible—even if you did not qualify before.  Please note: Previous protections have ended, which means some families who were previously eligible may no longer qualify.  

You must apply  

All families must submit a new application, including those who have previously received free school meals, as eligibility will no longer carry forward.  

If you do not complete a new application before September 2026, your child will not receive free school meals, even if they currently receive them.  

Please note: A separate application must be submitted for each child in your family.  

Why this matters  

Applying for free school meals:  

  • Ensures your child receives free meals at school  
  • Helps secure additional funding for the school to support pupils  

What you need to do now  

  • If you receive Universal Credit or think you may be eligible, please apply  
  • If your circumstances have changed, check your eligibility  
  • Complete your application as soon as possible to ensure meals are in place for September  
  • Apply here: https://apply.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims-tameside 

If you need help applying, please contact the school office. 

As we operate a cashless catering system, free schools meals are issued discretely so that no other students can possibly know that an individual is receiving a free school meal. Even the individual student does not need to be aware that this is the case. The free school meal allocation can be spent at brunch time or lunch time.  To make an application for free school meals you can complete the form online using the link below or contact the school office.  

 

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