Does Your Child Qualify for Free School Meals or the Early Years Pupil Premium?
We ask all parents and carers of children in the school and nursery to complete a Free School Meals eligibility questionnaire regardless of your child’s preferred meal choice as the school may be eligible to receive additional funding called ‘Pupil Premium’ or ‘Early Years Pupil Premium’ that can be used to directly support your child in school if you are in receipt of certain benefits or credits. The Pupil Premium is additional funding given to schools in England to raise the achievement level of pupils.
All children in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 are currently entitled to Free School Meals, regardless of whether their families get qualifying benefits or not. This is called ‘Universal Infant Free School Meals’.
Since the introduction of ‘Universal Free School Meals’ in 2014, schools have seen a drop in the number of children entitled to Pupil Premium funding as it is allocated through Free School Meals entitlement which is not always being applied for.
Schools currently receive an additional £1,300 a year from the Government to support the education of each child who is eligible for free school meals. This money must be spent on each child, and it is for the school to decide how it is spent. The school’s website provides information on how we use the Pupil Premium to improve achievement.
Pupil Premium funding may be available if you or your partner are currently in receipt of any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- The Guarantee Credit element of State Pension Credit
- Support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS)
- Support from the Local Authority Social Services Asylum Team (SSAT)
- Child Tax Credit, provided that you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit, and your annual income (as assessed by Her
- Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) is £16,190 or less
- Working Tax Credit for four weeks after your employment finished.
If you’re a parent or carer and receive Working Tax Credit you’re disqualified from claiming no matter what your income is unless it is within 4 weeks after your employment has finished.
If just a handful of additional parents notify us/successfully apply for this entitlement, it will make a significant positive impact on the school budget and will enable us to direct further resources to benefit your child.
You can find out more and get an instant decision online via the Waltham Forest website.
The online questionnaire is easy to complete and will take no more than 10 minutes. You will need your National Insurance number to hand.
You will only be asked to provide evidence of your income if LBWF are unable to get confirmation themselves.
We are also more than happy to assist you in making an application, please just pop into the office.
Alternatively, please complete the Free School meals application form and return it to the school with your we will apply for you. Please note: This form will be destroyed as soon as the application has been made and the information will not be stored in school.
There is also a folder in the Reception area outside the school office with further information about how to apply for Free School Meals. This information is available in several languages.All additional money makes a big difference to the school and is used directly for the benefit of the pupils.
Further information can also be found on the main LBWF website or by calling 020 8496 3000.
If you would like help with applying for free school meals Miss Ewa is available in school on Wednesday mornings or Chantel Etheve in the office will be able to assist.
A copy of the Questionnaire, Application form is attached for you to download.
