Message to Parents Free School Meal Entitlement

Message to Parents ā€“ Free School Meal Entitlement

We are writing to inform you that RBKC are in the process of asking some parents for consent to run a confidential check to confirm whether some currently unregistered children could be eligible for a Free School Meal.

Those families included in this exercise have been sent a letter by RBKC which explains the process, and gives the opportunity to opt out by returning a short form. The deadline for opting out is Monday, December 12.

If your child is already registered for an FSM this will not affect their access to the meals. RBKC are only looking into pupils who are not yet registered.

This process will not reach all families who could be eligible, especially those living in a different borough to our school. We would still like to urge parents who think their child might be eligible for a meal to apply via the School Office.

Registering your child doesnā€™t mean they have to take the meal if you donā€™t want them to, but it will guarantee extra funding for your childā€™s education via the Pupil Premium grant. For more details on FSM or the Pupil Premium please take a look at the facts below.

 

The Facts: Free School Meals and Pupil Premium

 

Who qualifies for Free School Meals?

Your child may be eligible for free school meals if you are in receipt of any of the following entitlements:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseekerā€™s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance
  • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (as long as you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than Ā£16,190)
  • Working Tax Credit run-on
  • Universal Credit

From September 2014 all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 were made eligible for free school meals, regardless of family income. This is known as universal infant free school meals.

Once your child reaches Year 3 they will need to be registered by the school should you wish for them to start, or to continue receiving the free meals.

What are the benefits of claiming the meals?

School meals are a good way to ensure that your child eats well at lunchtime, and they can also save you time and money.

Claiming free school meals also helps the school. We get extra funding, known as the ā€˜pupil premiumā€™, for every eligible pupil who is registered.

 

What is the Pupil Premium?

The ā€˜Ever 6ā€™ pupil premium grant is funding provided to schools to help all pupils reach their full potential, regardless of background or financial situation.

Your school is eligible for Ā£1320 additional funding if your child:

  • Has been registered for free school meals at any point in the past six years.

Your school is eligible for Ā£1900 additional funding if your child:

  • Has been looked after under local authority care for more than one day.

How is Pupil Premium funding used?

The pupil premium is not used to pay for school meals. Schools use the funding to improve the attainment of pupils who are eligible.

You can find more information on how schools use pupil premium funding on your school website.

How can I ensure my school gets the funding?

The more eligible pupils that are registered for free school meals, the more funding the school receives.

Registering does not mean your child has to take up free school meals if they donā€™t want to.

You should still register for free school meals even if:

  • Your child already receives universal infant free school meals
  • You would rather your child had a different meal, such as a packed lunch