Dear parent/carer,

Re: pupil premium and free school meals

If your child is eligible for ‘free school meals’ and you register them for this, we’ll receive extra funding called ‘pupil premium’. We use this extra money to improve the educational provision and resources at the school.

What is pupil premium funding?

Pupil premium funding from the government is given to schools to help pupils reach their full potential, regardless of their background or financial situation. It’s provided for pupils who:

• Are registered for free school meals

• Have been registered for free school meals at any point in the past 6 years

• Are, or have been, in care

• Have parents in the armed forces

At Holme Slack, we get an extra £1,385 (these figures are for the 2022/2023 financial year) for every eligible pupil who is registered for free school meals. This extra money could make a real difference to the quality of education we offer.

For example, we’ve previously used pupil premium funding for:

• Educational provision/resources

• School Trips

• Academic interventions

• Wellbeing and self-esteem building interventions

This additional funding allows us to provide an even better education for your child through the purchase of additional resources or staff to support learning.

Keep reading for what you need to do to see if your are eligible to free school meals. 

Free School Meals (FSM)

What are Free School Meals? 

Free School Meals are for those children whose household meets a certain criteria. 

Free School Meals eligibility.

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:

• Universal Credit with a household income of less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
• Income-Based Jobseekers' Allowance
• Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit, not entitled to Working Tax Credit and household income less than £16,190
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Working Tax Credit 'run on' – the payment you receive for a further four weeks after you finish work

If your child is currently eligible for free school meals, that eligibility will be protected until Universal Credit is introduced (expected March 2022) even if your circumstances change. If your child is still in education on this date, they will be eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they are in.

If you have a younger child starting school in September and you are no longer eligible, they will not be protected because this would be a new claim.

Apply via the internet

Application for Free School Meals needs to be made through the like below. 

https://lancashire-self.achieveservice.com/service/Free_school_meals_and_pupil_premium 

Apply by post

Download the application form (below). 

Please return completed forms to:

PO Box 100
Pupil Access Team
Lancashire County Council
County Hall
Fishergate Hill
Preston PR1 0LD

If you apply by post we will notify you by email, or post if you do not provide an email address.

What happens next?

LCC will confirm whether you are eligible by email. If you are eligible, they will let the school know that your child can have free school meals.

Universal Free Schools Meals (UiFSM)

What are Universal Infant Free School Meals?

Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) provides funding for all government funded schools to offer free school meals to pupils in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2. This is different to Free School Meals and school apply this automatically.