At The Learning Experience, our Little Learners welfare and safety is our highest priority. 

Our mission is to ensure that the dietary needs of our children are met. Our robust TLE procedures, such as our TLE Show N Tell app, ensure that all staff involved in the preparation and serving of food are well informed regarding children’s allergies, intolerances and any special dietary requirements (including cultural, religious, vegetarian and vegan diets) meeting nutritional and developmental requirements. 

At the start of joining our TLE Family, individual dietary requirements are recorded through our enrolment forms, at our settling in sessions and documented on our unique TLE Show N Tell app. This ensures that our little learners’ dietary requirements are planned for and incorporated into our planning and preparation.  We also ensure that we systematically review any dietary requirement needs, regularly reviewing this with parents and incorporating any medical records to support changing needs. 

Food Safety: 

Our TLE Centres embed food safety procedures such as coloured plates and place cards to support, in conjunction with our TLE Show N Tell app, adults, with identifying children with any specific dietary requirements and needs. 

All our specific food requirements, including vegetarian, vegan and religious preferences are clearly labelled by our centre chefs and follow robust handover procedures as detailed in our safety policies and procedures (hyperlink). 

Children are encouraged to independently set the tables ready for our social mealtimes and independently feed themselves (where developmentally appropriate) and engage in discussions and practice new skills regarding healthy food habits, supporting lifelong outcomes. At our TLE Centres, we encourage our children to notice and discuss the unique needs of our centre community. Conversations at mealtimes enable our children, with the sensitive support of our teachers, to develop their understanding of different cultural, religious, and personal preferences through meaningful first-hand experiences. This also develops an awareness of why we do not eat or drink someone else’s food and drink, developing an understanding of how we can keep ourselves safe. 

Weaning: 

At our TLE centres, we work closely with our parents to discuss weaning for our littlest TLE learners and menus for our learners who may have Special Educational Needs/and or disabilities. Our menus incorporate appropriate textures and foods based on your child’s age and developmental phase, ensuring your child’s specific needs are met.