School FAQs
Please find below a list of our frequently asked questions. Click on the question below to reveal the answer. If your question is not listed below please contact us.
General information
Our milk delivery has not arrived or is incorrect. What happens now?

Milk deliveries will normally be made prior to 10.30am. In the event that your delivery has not arrived or is in any way incorrect, please contact us on the day at [email protected] or alternatively please contact our Customer Service team on 0800 321 3248. We will then contact the dairy on your behalf and advise accordingly once we have received an update from them. In the event that the dairy fails to make a delivery, please confirm a non-delivery on your weekly delivery confirmation for that day and we will credit those customers affected. Alternatively please contact our Customer Service team on 0800 321 3248. Please bear in mind that at the start of a new term the deliveries could well be running later than you would normally expect.

A parent has queried why their child has not received milk. What should I do?
Please check your drinking list to see if the child is on the list. If they are not then ask the parent to contact us directly.
My password/email address is wrong/not recognised when I try to log in to ‘My Account’ on the website. Why is this?

Your username will be the Cool Milk account number that was given to you upon registration. Your username is generally your Cool Milk account number.

You can reset your log in details by selecting the Forgot Password option. When this has been done you will receive a password reset email.

Please note that all passwords are case sensitive.

If your email address has changed please contact our Customer Service team on 0800 321 3248.

Why do I only receive deliveries on certain days/times of the week?
The delivery patterns are set by the local dairy depot that delivers your milk, unfortunately these cannot be amended due to the way the milk round is structured. The weekly sheets you receive may show a daily order but it may be that enough milk is delivered on a particular day to cover all the subsequent days until your next delivery arrives. Don’t forget to rotate your milk so that you use the earliest delivered milk first.
How can we let you know about a training day or school closure?
In order to inform your dairyman, you need to add any closure days on your calendar via your online account with a minimum of 10 days in advance. However please do not forget that the parent payments are driven by your calendar dates and adding training days in late will cause issues with their payments.

In the event of unexpected school closures, for example due to adverse weather conditions, we request that you let us know within 10 days of the closure to enable us to apply any appropriate credit to parent’s accounts. You can do this by emailing us at [email protected].

We haven’t received our weekly drinking list, what should we do?
Your weekly list is available to download via your online account, once you have completed your weekly delivery confirmation. The confirmation email is sent to you on your last day of the week. Alternatively you can access the confirmation page via your online account, simply go online and select ‘Manage my Account’ to log in.
How do we get our weekly list for the start of a new term?
You can access your weekly list via your online account, simply go online and select ‘Manage my Account’ to log in and then select “View Drinking List” option, If you have any outstanding delivery confirmations you will be requested to confirm these first and then proceed to view drinking list.
How can we make changes to our class lists?
Please log in to your school’s account at www.coolmilk.com to make changes to class lists.

Children moved into different classes will be reflected on your drinking list straight away – simply reprint your drinking list after changes are saved. If children who no longer require milk are moved into the ‘leavers’ class prior to 5pm on Tuesday, the changes will show on the following week’s drinking lists. Please remember to press Save to complete the changes.

I have heard that schools receive a fridge from Cool Milk – how do we go about getting one ourselves?
If you are a primary school then you will automatically receive a fridge when you join Cool Milk.

If you are a Junior school and your order is for 20 or more children per day, you may qualify for a fridge. To request a fridge please email us on [email protected].

We have received a different unit of measure than usual, why?
Cool Milk endeavours to make sure that schools receive milk in their preferred unit of measure. However, in the occurrence of dairy shortages or production issues we will supply the school with a suitable alternative to ensure that there is no interruption in supply to children.
How long should we keep our drinking lists, delivery notes and other correspondence?
Paperwork should be kept for a minimum of three years for auditing purposes.
How do we cancel the scheme?
Please email us at [email protected].
What if the driver has told us that he cannot deliver the milk due to severe weather conditions?
Unfortunately, there will be occasions when the dairy will not be able to fulfil a delivery due to severe weather conditions. On these occasions, no deliveries will take place and in the event of this affecting parents who pay for their child’s milk, they will be credited for those days that milk was not supplied. When completing your delivery confirmation please enter a zero quantity on the day no milk was received to ensure the correct claim is processed.
How can I ensure that any children attending less than 5 days a week receive their milk?
Simply log onto your account at www.coolmilk.com, select Manage Your Account, then Schools and log on using your User ID and password. Click on the “Part Time Attendees” button and put a cross (not attending) or a tick (attending) against each of the children where you want to amend their attendance days. Attendance day changes should be made to you online account by Tuesday 5pm to be effective for the following week.
Confirming your milk deliveries
Why do I have to confirm my milk deliveries?
Cool Milk submits claims on your behalf to the Department of Health’s Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit (NMRU) for your under-fives and to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) for your over-fives. The RPA requires us to obtain electronic delivery confirmation in order to satisfy the audit requirements of the European School Milk Scheme.
Why do I have to confirm weekly?
We believe by processing the confirmation weekly this will ensure greater accuracy of the information you are providing and the subsequent claim we make to the NMRU and payment of the milk to your milkman.
How do I process my confirmation if I don’t have access to my email account or I’m unable to process the confirmation via the link in my email?
Please visit https://customers.coolmilk.com, select “Manage My Account”, you will need your email address, Cool Milk customer number and Postcode, You will then be given various options and you should select View Drinking List.

You will then be directed to the Delivery Confirmation page, where you are asked to confirm if you received the amount of milk we ordered. If you received a different amount you need to confirm this information. Please note the figures given are the number of children who we ordered milk for rather than you unit of measure.

Will my milk continue if I don’t confirm my deliveries?
Unfortunately due to this process being a mandatory requirement we will not be able to continue your milk supply without your confirmation details. Receiving your confirmation is the only way we can make a claim to the NMRU for the milk supplied and subsequently pay your milkman, which allows us to offer you our service.
Why do I have to confirm the children attendance numbers on the NMRU website?
In September 2016 the Department of Health made some changes to the Nursery Milk scheme. They now use your attendance data to validate the claims that we submit on your behalf for free milk for your under-fives. For further information please click here.
New government legislation
What are the requirements of the new School Food Plan legislation?
The legislation introduced on January 1st 2015 states that “Lower fat milk or lactose reduced milk must be available for drinking at least once per day, during school hours”.
What does that mean for us as the school?
You must make milk available for every child who wants it in primary schools, secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.
Does the milk have to be free?
As at present, all children aged between 5 and 18 who are eligible for free school meals (where the school claims a Pupil Premium) must be offered free milk. Schools may use the dedicated schools grant to fund the provision of milk for eligible pupils. From September 2014, when all infant pupils are entitled to a free school meal, milk must be offered free to infant pupils where it forms part of the school lunch. If milk is offered at any other time during the school day, it will only be free for those pupils with an underlying entitlement to free school meals.
When should we make milk available?
Milk should be made available during core school hours. In practice this means that milk can be made available at mid-morning break, mid-afternoon break or lunchtime. It is the school’s decision when to offer milk during the school day. By drinking milk at mid-morning or mid-afternoon break, children will benefit from the rehydration and energy boost halfway through the morning or afternoon. If you offer milk at lunchtime, it can be part of the school meal.
Why do you supply semi-skimmed rather than whole milk?
We provide semi-skimmed milk in line with current government legislation and the School Food Plan introduced in January 2015.  The Food Standards Agency says that children should switch from whole to semi-skimmed milk at the age of two, and the government legislation states that primary school children must receive semi-skimmed rather than whole milk once they have turned 5. However, if a child requires whole milk for medical reasons please email your request to us at [email protected].
Unexpected closure and adverse weather conditions
We have not received our milk delivery, what should we do?
Firstly check on our website front page to see if there are any notifications that affect your area.

If your milk has not been received by 10:30am then please contact your dedicated Customer Service team either via email at [email protected] or via telephone. If we have not already done so, we will contact the dairy in order to establish why delivery has not been made. We will ascertain the reason for the delay and notify you of the revised expected delivery time or alternatively, if the dairy is unable to complete the delivery to you we will inform you of this by return notification.

We are closed due to severe weather, what do I do about cancelling our milk order?
You must notify us as soon as possible by email at [email protected]. We will attempt to contact the dairy to request deliveries be cancelled at your request. We will endeavour to meet with your request but cannot guarantee that we will be able to cancel the delivery, specifically on the day you notify us, due to the varying times dairymen complete their rounds, and the delivery could have already been made. However, if the dairy confirm they are able to cancel milk for the duration of your closure – any parents who pay for their child’s milk will be credited in full for the effected days you have given us notification of your closure. When completing your delivery confirmation please enter a zero quantity on your closure day.
We have returned to our school after a period of closure and found milk outside, what do we do?
You must notify us as soon as possible either via email at [email protected] or via telephone. After ascertaining how long the milk has been outside, it is up to you to decide whether the milk is fit for consumption. If it is not, then you must dispose of the milk appropriately. Unfortunately we are unable to issue credits to paying parents as we were not notified of your closure and given an opportunity to cancel the delivery with the dairy.
Early years FAQs
Please find below a list of our frequently asked questions. Click on the question below to reveal the answer. If your question is not listed below please contact us.
General information
Our milk delivery has not arrived or is incorrect. What happens now?
Milk deliveries will normally be made prior to 10:30am. In the event that your delivery has not arrived or is in any way incorrect, please contact us on the day at [email protected] or alternatively please contact our Customer Service team on 0800 321 3248. We will then contact the dairy on your behalf and advise accordingly once we have received an update from them. In the event that the depot fails to make a delivery, you must contact us to ensure that we amend the amount of milk that you received and that we do not over claim with the NMRU.
Why do I only receive deliveries on certain days/times of the week?
The delivery patterns are set by the local dairy depot that delivers your milk, unfortunately these cannot be amended due to the way the milk round is structured. The weekly sheets you receive may show a daily order but it may be that enough milk is delivered on a particular day to cover all the subsequent days until your next delivery arrives. Don’t forget to rotate your milk so that you use the earliest delivered milk first.
How can I amend my order details or let you know about an address change?
All order amendments must now be amended through your online account. Simply log onto your account at www.coolmilk.com, select Manage Your Account, then Early Years and log on using your User ID and password. All changes must be received by 5pm on Tuesday in order to guarantee that these take effect the following Monday.

For an address change, firstly log on to your NMRU account at www.nurserymilk.co.uk and amend the details as necessary and then send an email to us at [email protected]  outlining both your previous and new addresses and when the change is effective from. If this address change has resulted in a new care certificate then we will need details of this in the email.

We haven’t received our weekly list, what should we do?
Your weekly list is available to download via your online account, from Wednesday morning for the following week. Simply log onto your account at www.coolmilk.com, select Manage Your Account, then Early Years and log on using your User ID and password.
How do we get our weekly list for the start of a new term?
You can access your weekly list via your online account, simply go online and select ‘Manage my Account’ to login and then select “View Drinking List” option, If you have any outstanding delivery confirmations you will be requested to confirm these first and then proceed to view drinking list.
Why do you supply semi-skimmed rather than whole milk?
We provide semi-skimmed milk in line with guidance issued by the Food Standards Agency and the School Food Trust and the new government legislation and School Food Plan introduced in January 2015. You can request whole milk by emailing us at [email protected]. The FSA says that children should switch from whole to semi-skimmed milk at the age of two, and the School Food Trust also recommends that primary school children should receive semi-skimmed rather than whole milk.
My password/email address is wrong/not recognised when I try to log in to ‘My Account’ on the website. Why is this?

Your log in email address will be the address used when you first registered with Cool Milk. Your username is generally your Cool Milk account number.

You can reset your log in details by selecting the Forgot Password option. When this has been completed you will receive a password reset email. Please note that all passwords are case sensitive. If your email address has changed please contact our Customer Service team on 0800 321 3248.

How can we let you know about a training day or a closure?
In order to inform your dairyman, you need to add any closure days on your calendar via your online account with a minimum of 10 days in advance.

In the event of unexpected closures, for example due to adverse weather conditions, we request that you let us know within 10 days of the closure to ensure the correct claim is processed. You can do this by emailing us at [email protected].

I have heard that some customers have received a fridge from Cool Milk – how do we go about getting one ourselves?
If your order is for 50 or more children per day, you may qualify for a fridge. To request a fridge please email us at [email protected].
We have received a different unit of measure than usual, why?
Cool Milk endeavours to make sure that early years settings receive milk in their preferred unit of measure. However, in the occurrence of dairy shortages or production issues we will supply you with a suitable alternative to ensure that there is no interruption in supply to children.
How long should we keep our weekly lists, delivery notes and so on?
Paperwork should be kept for a minimum of three years for auditing purposes.
How do we cancel the scheme?
Please email us at [email protected].
Confirming your milk deliveries
Why do I need to confirm my Nursery Milk order every week?
We need to ensure that your order reflects your current requirements and entitlement, to ensure that we submit legitimate claims to the Department of Health’s Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit (NMRU).
Why do I have to confirm weekly?
We believe by processing the confirmation weekly this will ensure greater accuracy of the information you are providing and the subsequent claim we make to the NMRU and payment of the milk to your milkman.
Why do I have to enter my under-5 attendance numbers on the NMRU website?
In September 2016 the Department of Health made some changes to the Nursery Milk scheme. They now use your attendance data to validate the claims that we submit on your behalf for free milk for your under-fives. For further information please click here.
Will my milk continue if I don’t confirm my deliveries?
Unfortunately due to this process being a mandatory requirement we will not be able to continue your milk supply without your confirmation details. Receiving your confirmation is the only way we can make a claim to the NMRU for the milk supplied and subsequently pay your milkman, which allows us to offer you our service.
Why do I have to provide my number of under 5 children?
Every child under five years of age is entitled to one 189ml portion of milk each day and as your milk agent we arrange the supply of milk for those children. Upon registering an account with the NMRU you must provide them with your relevant care certificate which ensures we never exceed your maximum allowed quantity. When providing us with the amount of milk you require it should be for the number of children who will be drinking the milk each day, this will subsequently be the amount of milk we make a claim for from the NMRU
My school only serves milk to under-5s. Why do I need to advise you when they turn 5?
A child’s entitlement to free milk stops on the Friday before their fifth birthday.

You are therefore required to go online and ensure that your order reflects the number of children who are under 5 for the following week (e.g. if you have 50 children under 5 in your setting for the 1st week of January, but 3 of those children turn 5 the following week, then your order for the 2nd week of January should be for 47 children).

Order changes should be made to you online account by Tuesday 5pm to be effective for the following week.

Unexpected closure and adverse weather conditions
We have not received our milk delivery, what should we do?
Firstly check on our website front page to see if there are any notifications that affect your area.If your milk has not been received by 10:30am then please contact our dedicated Customer Service team either via email at [email protected] or via telephone. If we have not already done so, we will contact the dairy in order to establish why delivery has not been made. We will ascertain the reason for the delay and notify you of the revised expected delivery time or alternatively, if the dairy is unable to complete the delivery to you we will inform you of this by return notification.
What if the driver has told us that he cannot deliver the milk due to severe weather conditions?
Unfortunately, there will be occasions when the dairy will not be able to fulfil a delivery due to severe weather conditions. On these occasions, no deliveries will take place.
We are closed due to severe weather, what do I do about cancelling our milk order?
You must notify us as soon as possible by email at [email protected]. We will attempt to contact the dairy to request deliveries be cancelled at your request. We will endeavour to meet with your request but cannot guarantee that we will be able to cancel the delivery, specifically on the day you notify us, due to the varying times dairymen complete their rounds, and the delivery could have already been made.
We have returned to our premises after a period of closure and found milk outside, what do we do?
You must notify us as soon as possible either via email at [email protected] or via telephone. After ascertaining how long the milk has been outside, it is up to you to decide whether the milk is fit for consumption. If it is not, then you must dispose of the milk appropriately.
Parent FAQs
Please find below a list of our frequently asked questions. Click on the question below to reveal the answer. If your question is not listed below please contact us.
General information
Why should my child drink milk?
Milk contains nearly all the vitamins and nutrients of importance to humans, including over half of a child’s RDA of calcium vital to help build strong and healthy teeth and bones; and childhood provides a once in a lifetime opportunity to build these strong. For more information visit our Why Milk Is Great webpage.
My child is under 5 – why is the milk free?
This is part of a government directive to ensure that all children in the UK receive the nutrients that milk provide and so are entitled to one free 189ml portion of milk per day at school whilst under the age of 5. This cost is funded by the UK government.
How much will I pay for my child’s milk?

Price can vary slightly by area, please contact us for more information. The cost is kept low thanks to a subsidy provided by Defra via the School Milk Scheme. We operate on a pre-payment basis, and you can choose to pay for the half term, the full term or the full academic year. You can register your child online at www.coolmilk.com/register.

I am in receipt of benefits – does my child qualify for free school milk once they turn 5?

Yes – In line with a recent change in legislation, schools must now provide free milk for children entitled to benefits-based free school meals.

If you feel that your child is entitled to free mid-morning milk, please contact the school directly to request they register your child with Cool Milk – the school must add the child to their Cool Milk account you cannot do this on their behalf.

Should you require any further information regarding this legislation please contact our Customer Service team on 0800 321 3248.

Why do you supply semi-skimmed rather than whole milk?
We provide semi-skimmed milk in line with guidance issued by the Food Standards Agency and the School Food Trust and the new government legislation and School Food Plan introduced in January 2015. You can request whole milk for medical reasons by emailing us at [email protected]. The FSA says that children should switch from whole to semi-skimmed milk at the age of two, and the government legislation states that primary school children must receive semi-skimmed rather than whole milk once they have turned 5.
Do you supply lactose/lactose free or soya milk?
Unfortunately due to low demand and limited supply availability with local dairies, we’re unable to offer this product. However please speak to your school directly to discuss what other options are available.
Is the milk that you provide UHT?
Unfortunately due to low demand and limited supply availability with local dairies, we’re unable to offer this product. However please speak to your school directly to discuss what other options are available.
How do I register my child for the Cool Milk scheme?

If you haven’t registered with us before you will need to create a parent account; just visit www.coolmilk.com/register. You will then need to add your child(ren) to the account. If you already have an account with us, log in to your account at www.coolmilk.com/manage-your-account/ and you can add additional children.

What happens in the event of mid-term holidays or sickness?
To enable us to cancel your child’s milk and organise credit to your account, you must notify us of any holiday or long term absence by 5pm on Monday for it to apply the following week. If we have already delivered the milk and were not made aware of your child’s absence then unfortunately we are not in a position to be able to refund any monies as we have fulfilled our obligation to deliver the milk. Please note you do not pay for milk during school holidays.
How can I amend my details or notify you of a change of address or school?

In order to avoid interruption in your child’s milk supply, please let us know about any changes, by logging onto your online account as soon as possible. Notify us of any amendments before Monday at 5pm to ensure this is updated for the following week. Failure to notify us in time may result in your child not receiving their milk for the following week. If you are experiencing any problems please contact our Customer Service team on 0800 321 3248.

My child no longer wishes to have school milk, how do I close my account?
If your child is entitled to Free School Meals and therefore has free school milk simply contact your school and they will do the rest.

If you are paying for your child’s milk then email us at [email protected] and we will close your account and issue any appropriate refund.

What if my child attended school but has not received milk?
If your school was open but the dairyman was unable to make a delivery due to severe weather conditions, we will apply a credit to your account for the day(s) your child was without milk. If the school was open and your child was in attendance and the dairyman completed his delivery, please contact the dedicated Customer Service team and they will investigate the issue for you and ascertain if your child was on the drinking list issued to the school. If your child was on the drinking list then you will need to contact the school to confirm why they did not distribute the milk to your child.
Registrations
Can I register using a mobile phone or tablet device?

You can register with Cool Milk using many different internet-enabled mobile phones and tablet devices. 

If you have any issues registering on your mobile device, you can register online at www.coolmilk.com on a computer. Alternatively, you can contact our team for assistance.

Why doesn't my child's school appear when I'm registering them online?
The school may not yet have started on the Cool Milk scheme or you may not be in the same postal catchment. Please contact our Customer Service Team who will be happy to help.
Why does my registration appear to be a duplicate?
We already hold details of when you registered previously or your child is already registered at a school. Please contact Customer Services who will advise of any existing account details.
I registered previously with Cool Milk and would like to either reactivate that account or register a new child, how do I set this up?
If you would like to reactivate a cancelled child account we would advise calling Customer Services who will complete this for you.

In order to register a new child you will need to log in to your existing account and select option ‘Child Account’ where you will find ‘Add New Child’.

If you have any difficulties please contact Customer Services.

When is the cut off for registrations?
Registrations can be done at any time however, if you would like your child to receive milk the following week all registrations and any payments (where applicable) would need to be made before Tuesday at 5pm.
Why is there only an UNKNOWN class available to select upon registration?
If class unknown is the only class option upon registration this would indicate that the school have not yet advised us of class names. Class unknown does not affect the receipt of milk at school.
Why is there a box at the bottom of the registration page for attendance days?
Many children that attend nursery or primary school for the first time do not attend every day. This facility allows you put a cross (not attending) or a tick (attending) against your child where you want to set their attendance days. You can then amend these days via your online account as and when required. Changes to the days prior to 5pm Tuesday will take effect from the following week.
Logging into my account
Can I log into my account using a mobile phone or tablet device?
You can log into your Cool Milk account using many different internet enabled mobile phones and tablet devices. We are always looking to improve our website and hope to ensure online accounts can be accessed on all smartphones and tablet devices in the near future.
My password/email address is wrong/not recognised when I try to log in to "My Account" on the website. Why is this?

Your log in email address will be the address used when you first registered with Cool Milk. You can reset your log in details by selecting the Forgot Password option. When this has been done you will receive a password reset email.

Please note that all passwords are case sensitive.

If your email address has changed please contact our Customer Service team on 0800 321 3248.

What is my username?
This is the email address supplied to us at the point of registration.
What is my password?
Please click forgot password, enter username and click submit. An email will be sent to you containing a new password.
Once logged in with my temporary password, how do I amend this to something more memorable?
There is a dark blue line that runs across the top of the log in page which states ‘change user ID/password’. Enter your old password and create a new one.
Paying for my child’s milk
Can I pay for my child's milk using a mobile phone or tablet device?

You can pay for your child’s milk using many different internet enabled mobile phones and tablet devices. We are always looking to improve our website and hope to ensure payments can be made on all smartphones and tablet devices in the near future.

If you have any issues making a payment on your mobile device, you can pay online at www.coolmilk.com using a computer.

I have received a payment request for my child’s milk. Which methods can I use to pay?

You can make payment online using all major debit and credit cards as well as Apple and Google pay.

Should you have any payment related queries, please contact us on [email protected].

I paid my payment request last week - why hasn’t my child received milk?

Due to dairy ordering systems beyond our control, we must receive payments prior to 5pm Tuesday for milk to commence on the following Monday. PayPoint payments must be made by 5pm on Monday for milk to commence the following Monday. If you make payment after this deadline, milk will not commence until the next week. Please note this deadline may change at certain times of the year, e.g. at the end of the year in December so please check the website front page for updates.

Where do I find my child's account number?

You will find your child’s account number once logged into your online account and also on any payment request email we send.

If you are unable to locate this, please contact our Customer Service Team who will be happy to help.

Why is my child appearing in class UNKNOWN?
A child may appear in class unknown if the school have not yet advised us of class names or even if upon registration the parent was unaware of what class their child would be in, this does not affect the receipt of milk at school and can be updated at any time.
Why is my child not receiving milk?
Have you paid for the milk in advance if your child is over 5? If so, please contact Customer Services with your payment information which must include the last 4 digits of the card you paid with and the type of card, date you paid, amount you paid and how you paid e.g. via the website. We will then be able to investigate further.

Did you pay before the cut off of 5pm on the Tuesday?

Are you entitled to Free School Milk? If so, have you advised the school of your entitlement?

Does the invoice for your child have the current school that your child attends?

Unexpected closure and adverse weather conditions
What if my child cannot get to school?
Unfortunately, if your school is open and has taken delivery of your child’s milk then we will not be able to issue a credit for you.
I pay for my child to receive school milk but I have been notified that the school will be closed until further notice. Will I receive a refund?
If your school is closed and milk has not been delivered we will credit your account for the relevant absent days. Your account will also be credited if your school is open but delivery has not been made by the dairy.