Canteen & Free School Meals
There are two dining room facilities in the school, one for main school and one for Sixth Form. Both are modern, attractive spaces that are popular with students and staff alike. We operate a cashless catering system powered through ArborPay.
Food is fresh and locally sourced where ever possible. It is prepared and cooked on the premises by Aspens Catering. The team are all experienced and led by a professional cook with a diverse background in the catering world who has brought this vibrant mix to our school and the menus provided.
Parents and carers can monitor what their child is purchasing in the canteen through the Arbor Parent App by navigating to the School Canteen account on the Payments section of the App.
Free School Meals
In England a Free School Meal (FSM) is a statutory benefit available to school aged children from families who receive other qualifying benefits.
Since June 2026, FSM applications must be renewed each year. If you have any queries, please email the free school meals team at: freeschoolmeals@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk or call 01305 221090.
The daily FSM allowance is £2.80; if this is not spent it is not carried forward to the next day. This is not credited or visible on the Arbor App, but is used to cover the first £2.80 of any spend. We encourage children to purchase the Aspen's Meal Deal at lunchtime, which is priced at £2.80.
Menus & Prices
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do free school meals work?
Students who are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) will automatically be able to purchase food at the canteen up to a value of £2.80 per day. This allowance is available only on the day it is issued and cannot be carried over. Any unspent balance will expire at the end of the school day.
Please note that the FSM allowance will not appear as a credit balance in Arbor. Instead, it is made available directly through the canteen's point-of-sale (POS) system.
Students receiving Free School Meals cannot be distinguished from those paying with their own funds, ensuring privacy and discretion.
The school is notified automatically whenever a student becomes newly eligible for FSM through the FSM application form above. Eligible students will be added to Arbor by our administration team on the next school day.
Why is my child's account is being charged even though they have Free School Meals?
Students eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) receive £2.80 per day to spend through the Point of Sale (POS) system in the school canteen. This allowance will not appear as a credit balance in Arbor.
If a student also has an additional money on their account, they will be allowed to make purchases beyond £2.80, however this additional balance will only be used if they spend more than the £2.80 FSM allowance.
For example, if a student spends £4.00 in one day and receives FSM, the first £2.80 will be covered by their FSM entitlement, and only £1.20 will be deducted from their account balance. However, Arbor will still display the full £4.00 transaction so that parents can see exactly what was purchased.
My child receives free school meals, but I want to give them some extra money. Can I still do this?
Students eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) may also have their accounts topped up in the same way as any other student's account. Any funds added by a parent or carer remain on the account until they are spent and can be used at the student's discretion.
The daily FSM allowance and any parent-paid balance are managed separately. While the FSM allowance expires at the end of each day if unused, topped-up funds will remain available on the account until they are spent.
How can I top-up my child's account using the Arbor Parent App?
Payment can be made by credit or debit card or by using Apple Pay or Google Pay. Payment is credited to the account and available to spend immediately.
I want to top up once per term, but don’t want my child to spend all of the money straight away.
If you wish to change to change the limit for your child's daily spend, please email your request to AborPay@poolehigh.poole.sch.uk.
How will I be able to check my child's balance?
Balances can be checked via the Arbor App. Students can also check their balances by scanning their fob on the 'balance check' device near student services.
On the Arbor App, parents are able to monitor what their children purchase each day by viewing the School Canteen account on the Payments section of the Arbor Parent App.
My child has lost their fob, what can I do?
If a fob is lost, it will be deactivated to prevent any unauthorised use. In addition, a photograph of the student is displayed on the Aspen's cashier's screen when the fob is used, ensuring that another student cannot use a lost or misplaced fob.
Replacement fobs must be ordered through the Arbor Parent App.
What happens if my child forgets their fob?
If a student does not have their fob, the Aspen's cashier can perform a manual account lookup at the till. The student's account can then be accessed and verified using their school photograph before any purchases are processed.
My child has food allergies will the canteen staff know about this?
