Food at Pensby

Lunchtime 

At Pensby we encourage the children to sit and enjoy a meal together, encouraging them to spend time talking and enjoying food and leisure time together.  We have a wide range of food options available at our school canteen including a hot meal counter with fresh, home cooked meals every day such as roast dinner in giant yorkshire puddings, curries, chinese style banquets, fresh salads, lasagna, the choices are endless. We also have a pasta bar, fast food section with burgers and quick bites, our subway sandwich bar where you can pre-order hot paninis at break to skip the lunchtime queue if you have a club or don’t want to wait. We also have an outside food pod and space for those eating packed lunches to eat indoors with their friends. Both students and staff eat in the canteen and enjoy lunch time together.

Please find a sample of our lunch menu below

Here are the current costs of food items as of September 2026-

Breaktime

We offer a full breaktime service with hot filling bean pots (a Pensby favourite!), bacon or sausage muffins, waffles and toast. 

Breakfast Club

Breakfast club is available every morning for students who need a piece of toast and juice before the school day begins 

Paying for food

You can pay for food using the online Scopay system or students can bring cash to add to their accounts at the machines in both canteens. 

Changes to Free School Meals

From September 2026, the Government expanded Free School Meal eligibility so that students from households receiving Universal Credit will be entitled to receive a free school meal, once eligibility has been verified. There are now two categories of benefits-related Free School Meals: 

Targeted Free School Meals 
This applies to students from households receiving Universal Credit where annual household earnings are £7,400 or less, and to some other eligible benefit categories. This is the category that continues to be linked to Pupil Premium and some other forms of targeted support. 

Expanded Free School Meals 
This is a new category for students from households receiving Universal Credit who do not meet the Targeted Free School Meal threshold. Students in this category are entitled to receive a free school meal, but this does not automatically provide eligibility for Pupil Premium. 

How to Apply or Recheck Eligibility

All applications are made directly to the school through the Wirral Portal and online application form, which can be found using the link below. 

Families should complete the application if they think they may be eligible, including where they receive Universal Credit. The eligibility checking system will confirm whether a student qualifies for Targeted Free School Meals or Expanded Free School Meals. 

The system will continue to check eligibility for up to 42 days after your initial application. If your circumstances change during that period, you and the school will receive notification of any change in eligibility, which we will then process.