Free school meals

If your child is in Reception, years one or two, you will automatically be entitled for free meals under the new 'Universal Infant Free School Meals' criteria. However if you do meet the criteria listed below then you will need to submit an online claim in order for your child’s school to receive Pupil Premium funding.

Please note: We do not process claims for:

• Beacon Hill Academy
• Blowers Green Academy
• Fairhaven
• Kates Hill Academy
• Netherbrook
• Pegasus Academy
• Sledmere Academy
• St James Academy
• The Link Academy

Please check these school’s websites to claim, or contact these schools directly.

Benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM) claims added before 1 April 2025 are protected until the eligible child leaves primary school (children in Reception to Year 6 as of 31 March 2025) or secondary school (young people in Years 7 to 13 as of 31 March 2025), even if parents/carers have a change in circumstance.

If your child is entitled to benefits-related Free School Meals (FSM) and in Year 6, your eligibility will be rechecked in readiness for them to start secondary school.

New FSM claims added from 1 April 2025 onwards are not protected. Eligibility for new FSM claims will be regularly checked. New FSM claims will be cancelled if parents/carers are not found eligible. This may mean some children in the same family will be entitled to FSM and associated benefits (e.g. Holiday Activities and Food – HAF – Programme) while others aren’t.

If you have any questions about school meals, please contact your child or children’s school. Menus, prices and arrangements vary from school to school.

Full details on free school meals can be found on the Gov UK website.

If you get any of the following support payments your child may be entitled to receive free school meals:

• Universal Credit (you must have less than £616.67 a month net earned income (after tax - and not including any benefits)​
  
  
• Income Support
  
  
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
  
  
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  
  
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  
  
• The guaranteed element of State 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

Please note: Children who receive a qualifying benefit in their own right are also allowed to receive free school meals.