Free School Meals
It is part of our culture at Aspire Schools to make sure that every child attending school full time is provided with a free nutritious meal at lunchtime, as well as being offered breakfast on arrival at school. This is not dependant on a child being eligible for Free School Meals (FSM).
If you are eligible for FSM you are also entitled to Holiday Activity Vouchers which are issued by the Local Authority - you can find out more here:
HolidayActivities.com | Local vouchers
Am I Eligable?
There are 2 categories of free school meals (FSM) eligibility:
- Targeted
- Expanded
Each category has different benefits that children are entitled to.
Children eligible through the Targeted category will be entitled to more support.
These children are entitled to:
- free school meals
- be included in funding provided to schools for the Pupil Premium
- Holiday Access Fund (HAF) vouchers (while the scheme is provided)
You may be able to claim more support too. For example, help with home to school transport
Expanded
Children eligible through the Expanded category will only be entitled to free school meals.
No other additional support is available through this category of eligibility.
Check which category you're eligible for
Parents who receive these benefits will be eligible for the Targeted category:
- Universal Credit and the household income is below £7,400 each year (as assessed by HMRC)
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Income Based Employment and Support Allowance
- Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit
- families eligible under the No Recourse to Public Funds criteria (NRPF)
Parents who receive these benefits will be eligible for the Expanded category:
- Universal Credit and the household income is above £7,400 each year (as assessed by HMRC)
Automatic eligibility rechecks each year
Once your child is found eligible, they will remain eligible until the end of the school year.
Your child’s school will recheck their eligibility towards the end of each year (in June or July). So they know who will be eligible when they return to school in September.
The pupil premium for schools
If you're eligible for Targeted free school meals, the school will receive an extra:
- £1,345 per child of government funding for if your child attends Primary school
- £955 per child of government funding for if your child attends Secondary school
Government funding is provided even if your child does not want the meal and is used to help children from lower income families do their very best at school.
How to apply
You'll need to apply directly to your child’s school if you consider your family are eligible to receive free school meals.
When you apply, your child’s school:
- will normally ask you to complete a form to check your eligibility
- may request copies of your benefits paperwork to help them assess your eligibility - however you do not usually need to provide any financial information (unless you're applying due to NPRF criteria)
Tell the school if there are changes to your benefits
It's important to tell your child’s school if:
- you have a change in your benefits - especially if the change makes you eligible for free school meals
- your partner is now claiming the family's benefit for free school meals as your school will need to check their eligibility separately
