FREE SCHOOL MEALS
Is my child eligible for Free School Meals?
Your child may be entitled to free school meals if you get any of the following:
· Income Support
· income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
· income-related Employment and Support Allowance
· support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
· the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
· Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
· Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
· Universal Credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both:
· younger than the compulsory age for starting school
· in full-time education
If you do not qualify for most benefits (also known as having ‘no recourse to public funds’), your child may still be eligible for free school meals. Speak to the school office to find out whether they’re eligible.
Even if your child receives free school meals (FSM) through Universal Infant Free School Meals (Years R, 1, or 2), applying for benefits-related FSM is crucial. It ensures the school receives extra "Pupil Premium" funding (up to £1,480 per child) to support learning, and secures your eligibility for benefits during holidays.
Key Reasons to Apply Now:
· Extra Funding (Pupil Premium): Applying allows schools to access valuable funding for resources, teaching staff, and activities, even if your child gets free meals automatically.
· Holiday Support: Being officially registered often provides access to the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF), which offers free food and activities during school holidays.
· Automatic Enrolment: If you are in Year R, 1, or 2, you are already covered, but submitting an application verifies eligibility for this additional funding.
If you meet any of the requirements above, you must apply for Free Schools Meals at: https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/medway/
PUPIL PREMIUM
The Pupil Premium is part of the Social Mobility Strategy that aims to tackle unfairness at every stage of life with specific measures to improve educational outcomes from the foundation years to school and into adulthood.The Pupil Premium is allocated to schools based on the number of pupils who are known to be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). Since 2012, this has also included pupils who have been eligible for FSM at any point in the previous six years. Funding is also supplied for those children in local authority care and those who have parents or guardians working for the British Services.This enables funds to be available for your child for personalised support and resources to help them achieve the best possible start in their life and to make an impact on their academic attainment particularly in English and Mathematics.
To read our Pupil Premium Strategy, click here.
Use of Pupil Premium
Each year, the school plans its use of the Pupil Premium grant to ensure that it is relevant to the needs of the school and its pupils. At the end of the academic year, the school reviews the impact of the pupil premium against the objectives laid out in the plan. We use a range of information to review this such as pupils, parents and staff views and end of year attainment and progress data.
Pupil Premium Impact
We monitor the impact of our spending carefully to ensure that it is closing the gap between children who receive the Pupil Premium Grant and those who do not.
