Free School Meals
Universal Infant Free School Meals
Every child in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 in state funded schools will receive a free school lunch from September 2014. The Government’s aim is to improve academic attainment and save families money – over the course of a year the average family spends £437 on school lunches per child.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
• 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 guarantee 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 four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
In addition, the following pupils will be protected against losing their free school meals as follows (please see page 10 for further details):
• From 1 April 2018, all existing free school meals claimants will continue to receive free school meals whilst Universal Credit is rolled out. This will apply even if their earnings rise above the new threshold during that time.
• In addition, any child gaining eligibility for free school meals after 1 April 2018 will be protected against losing free school meals during the Universal Credit rollout period.
• Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, any existing claimants that no longer meet the eligibility criteria at that point (because they are earning above the threshold or are no longer a recipient of Universal Credit) will continue to receive free school meals until the end of their current phase of education (i.e. primary or secondary).
Holiday Activities & Food Programme (HAF)
The Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is funded by the Department for Education. It funds holiday activities which include food for children during the Easter, summer and Christmas school holidays. Stockport Council work with local schools, voluntary and community organisations and childcare providers to deliver the programme across Stockport. You can find out more about the national HAF programme on the GOV.UK website.
Eligible children will be able to access:
- up to 16, 4 hour sessions throughout the summer holidays
- up to 4, 4 hour sessions through the Christmas holidays
There will be no cost to parents for the sessions.
Some clubs offer longer sessions and some provide specific sessions for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or additional needs.
Holiday clubs will be include a variety of fun activities, including sports, music, arts and other exciting opportunities to learn and develop skills. Children will also receive a nutritious meal each day.
For more information visit the council website.
PLEASE NOTE:
All children who are entitled to Free School Meals because of their families financial circumstances bring an additional £1,345 into the school budget to support their learning experiences at school. This money is known as PUPIL PREMIUM money and enables school to plan and support learning opportunities for these children.
So even if your child is in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 or in Key Stage 2 please apply for Free School Meals if you are entitled to the benefits above and your child will receive the Pupil Premium allowance. The school will not receive this allowance for your child unless you specifically apply for Free School Meals on the financial grounds listed above. To apply use the link below:
If in doubt please do not hesitate to contact the school and we will provide you with the relevant support and information.