Does your child qualify for a free school meal?

As the government now uses the number of pupils eligible for free school meals as a guide to extra funding for schools, it is vital that all families that qualify for a free school meal actually apply (although it is not compulsory for that pupil to actually take the meal!). The extra funding for FSM pupils allows the school to invest in many areas of school improvement that would otherwise be unavailable.

However there were issues that discouraged parents from applying for this benefit – these included the check for eligibility and the stigma associated with collecting a free meal. In order to remove these obstacles the school has registered with the local authority to allow an on-line check to see if you qualify for a free school meal. The information entered by parents will be checked against Central Government systems and Local Authority systems and makes the whole process much more accessible and easy to apply for.

To start your application process for free school meals click here

For more information about free school meals click here

In the past, parents have been put off applying for free school meals due to the stigma of their child being identified as an FSM pupil. Our new cashless catering system removes this stigma as pupils are no longer identified as FSM pupils and are no different from all pupils when collecting their meal. The system simply identifies whether payment for a meal is necessary or not through the fingerprint identification process and payment is deducted from a pupil’s account which may have been automatically credited with the cash for a meal. There should be no reason why pupils who are eligible for a free meal do not collect this meal (at a saving of around £350 per year).

To read more about our cashless catering system follow this link to the web page.