The Restaurant
at John Taylor Free School
Meal Times in the JTFS Restaurant
Our school restaurant provides a welcoming space where food and refreshments are available throughout the day.
In partnership with MiQuill Catering, a range of fresh, balanced meals is available, with options that are varied, appealing and good value. Breakfast, breaktime and lunchtime service ensure students can access food across the school day.
To help maintain a clean and well‑organised environment, food should be eaten in the restaurant area, including for those bringing a packed lunch.
Current Menus
Cashless Catering
The restaurant operates a cashless system using My Child at School (MCAS), which is used to manage payments and view account information. A thumb scan allows quick and secure access to each account when purchasing food and drink.
Accounts should be kept in credit to help ensure a smooth experience at break and lunchtime. As payments are not applied instantly, we recommend topping up before 8:00am each day.
The MCAS app also allows families to view purchases and monitor daily spending. Spending limits can be adjusted by contacting the school.
More information about using MCAS can be found on the Parent App page.
Daily Spending
The standard daily spending limit in the restaurant is £6.00. Once this limit is reached, further purchases cannot be made that day. Limits can be increased or reduced, including setting different limits for breakfast, break and lunchtime. To request this, please contact [email protected].
If an account goes into a small deficit, a temporary token may be provided to allow a purchase to be made. This is a short-term measure, and repeated deficits may result in tokens no longer being issued.
Filtered water refill points are available in the restaurant. Students should bring a refillable bottle, as cups are not provided on site.
Free School Meals
Parents and carers who think they may be eligible can apply for Free School Meals online through Staffordshire County Council.
If your application is successful, please let us know by forwarding the confirmation to the school so we can make the necessary arrangements for your child.
Students who are entitled to Free School Meals receive a daily allowance of £3.05, which is enough to purchase a hot lunch in the Restaurant.
It is important to remember that this is a daily allowance, not an unlimited food allowance. Students can choose to spend it at breakfast, breaktime or lunchtime, but if it is used before lunch there may not be enough remaining to purchase a hot meal. In these cases, additional funds would need to be available on the student’s MCAS account.
Our catering team support students at the till by explaining how much of their allowance remains and helping them make informed choices throughout the day.
Please note:
- The allowance is added each day
- Any unused credit is not carried over to the next day
- The allowance is designed to cover a hot lunch at lunchtime
- Additional spending at breakfast or break may require extra funds to be added via MCAS
Filtered drinking water is available free of charge throughout the day, and students are encouraged to bring a refillable water bottle.
Timings of the Day
Food is available before school, during break and at lunchtime. For full details of the school day, including exact timings, please see the Key Dates page.