An Introduction to Catering at Droitwich Spa High School and Sixth Form Centre                                                       

We have been providing catering in house for many years whereby students can enjoy a range of healthy and popular food at breakfast, break-time & lunchtime, which complies with the School Food Plan and School Food Standards Regulations. The manner in which it is purchased, delivered and served is a key priority for us, in order to have a meaningful impact on the education of children.

We operate in 3 catering outlets:-

• The Big Apple which is situated between the Science Block and the Main Classroom Block
• The Little Apple Cafe in the S&T Block at the far end of site
• The Apple Core in the 6^th Form area.

On the last inspection from Worcester Regulatory Services, we were awarded the 5-Star Food Hygiene Rating, which has been maintained since 2010.

The Catering facility operates a biometric system for students to purchase their food items. The system incorporates the latest technology and eliminates the need to carry cash throughout the day thus reducing the risk of bullying or losing it on the way to School. Using ‘thumb print’ recognition technology, the system works by taking measurements of the thumbprint, but they do not capture a complete image. Schools cannot use biometric information for any reason other than for the express purpose for which it was collected. This means that the original thumbprint cannot be reconstructed from the data.

Under GDPR regulations, biometric permission is required prior to the ‘thumb scan’ on the first day of term, however there is an alternative of a pin number if permission is neither received nor granted.

There is a wide variety of menu choices all of which are prepared on site. The menus and price lists are on the School Website and on the Portal, they are based around the school timetable of Week A & Week B. Allergen information is available on menu content for all items.

The food offer is as follows with Meat Free Mondays every week: –

–         Hot Snack Meals in a Pot

–         Hot Vegetarian Snack Meals in a Pot

–         Hot Tasty Snack Choices

–         Jacket Potatoes with Fillings

–         Baguettes, Sandwiches, & Wraps

–         Salad & Cold Pasta pots

–         Fruit and Home-made Yogurt

–         Home-baked Cakes and Cookies

–         Cold Drinks and Ice-creams 

We do not accept any cash as it is a totally ‘cashless’ operation in order for the speed of service to be as effective as possible, however by working with Arbor, payments can be made by you online and sent direct into the students account.

Arbor is used for payments to add credit for school meals. It is also used for trips, revision guides, workbooks, DofE expeditions, prom and theatre tickets.

All payments are made through the Arbor app on your phone or on the Arbor Parent Portal on a PC/laptop, to which everyone will have access.

We do not accept any other form of payment. Minimum payment for meals is £2.00, as set by Arbor.

Topping up meal accounts:

https://support.arbor-education.com/hc/en-us/articles/204177771-Payment-accounts-and-topping-up-the-meal-account-on-the-Parent-Portal-or-Arbor-App

How much credit is on a student’s catering account?

The catering account balance can be found in Arbor or students can check their balance at the tills after being served. It is essential to stay in credit for School Meals if students wish to purchase items. A lend can be applied if funds are low and payments have not yet come through the system or if students have forgotten to bring food from home. Repayment is made directly once the account is topped up in Arbor.  If you would prefer not to have lends applied, please advise by emailing the school kitchen.

Transaction details

If you would like to know more about the transaction activity, we are able to supply a detailed report which shows dates, times and each item purchased as well as the payments being made. Please request by emailing the school kitchen.

Pupil Spending Limits

Each student has a spending limit on his or her catering account of £5 per service unless instructed otherwise. If you would like a different limit set, such as a total amount to spend per day, this can be arranged by emailing the school kitchen. This is especially helpful when paying a larger amount online instead of making daily payments but not wanting it all to be spent quickly.

If you have any comments, questions or queries at any time, please do not hesitate to contact us: –

• Email schoolkitchen@droitwichspahigh.worcs.sch.uk

• Phone 01905 774421 ext. 6073 or press the option for catering on the automated message