Free School Meals/Pupil Premiuim
The eligibility criteria for free school meals has changed.
What are the new eligibility criteria?
Children are entitled to receive free school meals if they or their parents or guardians receive any of the following:
- Universal Credit, provided they have an annual net earned income not exceeding £7,400 (£616.67 per month)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guarantee element of Pension Credit Child Tax Credit, provided they are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by HMRC
- Working Tax Credit run-on paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Hard copies of the forms are available from the school office.
Pupil Premium
Pupil Premium is a government initiative that targets extra money at pupils from deprived backgrounds, which research shows underachieve compared to their non-deprived peers. The Pupil Premium is provided in order to support these pupils in reaching their potential.
The Government uses pupils who are entitled to Free School Meals (FSM) as an indicator for deprivation, and the Government gives the school funding based on the number of pupils registered for Free School Meals.
Pupil Premium includes pupils who are currently entitled to Free School Meals and/or received Free School Meals in the past 6 years.
Therefore it is very important that parents who are entitled to FSM still complete the necessary paperwork especially if the entitlement is new.