How much lunch money should I give to my child at secondary school?

From morning assembly to the occasional bell, primary school is super structured. School lunches are pretty much fixed and most kids more or less eat the same thing. That changes once kids get to secondary school. There’s more choice, higher costs, and more opportunities for kids to spend money. Concerned about how it’s all going to go? Let us help.

Prices vary, and they’re usually set by the school, but you can expect to pay around £3-£4 for a full meal, or a bit less for a toasted sandwich or a panini.

Some parents pay for the cost of lunch, while others give their kids a bit extra. This extra money can cover breakfast at a breakfast club, a snack during break time, or something their child can grab on the way home from school. Amounts can vary from just the cost of the daily meal (around £3.27), to closer to £5 a day for some kids, so expect to budget somewhere between £15-£25 a week. Stats and figures are from School Food Matters.

Today’s school meals may well be healthier than the ones you enjoyed as a child. New school food standards mean British schools must offer high-quality meats and a range of fruit and vegetables with every meal. Also schools are banned from offering sugary drinks, crisps, chocolates and sweets in the canteen or at vending machines around school.

This should give you the peace of mind that your childs lunch money is going towards a nutritious meal. You can always check the school’s menu to see the meals provided, and discuss choosing healthy options with your child.

Plenty of school kids also take packed lunches, which might give you greater control over lunchtime spending and nutrition. The NHS even publishes a guide to healthier lunch boxes with a range of quick and easy options to keep you covered. Tired of making those lunch boxes yourself? You could set this as a chore for your kids in our app.

Chores is included with the Rooster Card subscription.

Some schools have a thumbprint recognition system, linked to an account that parents set up. Other schools offer their pupils a dedicated card-payment system, which accepts normal debit cards such as the Rooster Card. Our prepaid debit card for kids could help parents to manage weekly lunch money budgets by setting spending limits and receiving notifications when their child buys something.

Card for ages 6-17. £1.99/mo or £19.99/yr. Criteria and T&Cs apply. Other fees may apply.

For more tips to help your kids take on the new school term, take a look at our Back to School hub where we discuss the ways in which kids are earning extra, including what chores and side hustles secondary school kids are taking on. We also share hacks on ways to get organised before starting secondary school covering school policy on phones and what to get for lunch.