Free School Meals (FSM)
Free School Meals are available to all families who are in receipt of universal credit. If your child is eligible, they will receive an allowance to spend on a free, nutritious meal each school day.听Even if your child prefers to bring a packed lunch, we encourage families to apply if they meet the criteria, as there can be additional funding which helps us to provide wider support across the school.
There are two categories to Free School Meals 鈥�
- Targeted Free School Meals are available for families who are in receipt of universal credit and have a household income of less than 拢7,400 per annum. This gives additional funding for the school as well as the free school meals for your child.
- Expanded Free School Meals are available for all other families who are in receipt of universal credit.
If your child is in receipt of targeted Free School Meals we can offer support towards the following:
- School social events
- Afterschool or lunchtime clubs
- Books, resources and art materials
- Pens, pencils, rubbers, highlighters etc. are available from the library when needed, your child can ask at the library desk for any stationery they need, and we will provide it.
- A maths set and scientific calculator can be collected in the library once a year
- A new iPad case – if your child needs a new iPad case, they can collect one from the library once a year.
- Uniform discounts
- Music lessons – if your child would like to learn a musical instrument, we can offer music lessons at a 50% discounted rate, please contact the music department administrator Claire Cook on [email protected] for further details.
- Trips off site 鈥� support with trips is different for each trip. This depends on the cost of the trip and what pupils will be doing. The trip leader will usually tell you what help is available. If you are not sure, please ask.
- Holiday activity and food scheme
How to apply
You can apply online on the local authority website: apply here听 ),
- The form is quick and easy to complete
- All information is confidential
- You鈥檒l receive a response confirming eligibility
Please complete a Free School Meals application if you think you may be eligible鈥攊t benefits your child, your family, and our school community. Contact the school for help if you need to.
Pupil Premium
The Pupil Premium is additional funding provided to schools to help reduce the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. It is allocated to support pupils who are eligible for targeted Free School Meals, or who have been eligible for targeted Free School Meals at any point in the last six years.
The College also receive an enhanced premium for Looked After Children (those who have been in care or adopted) this is now known as听Pupil Premium Plus.听 The听Service Premium听is a smaller fund available to assist the school to provide pastoral care to the children of armed forces personnel. This funding allows us to provide targeted academic, pastoral and enrichment support to ensure every child can thrive. If you think your child may be eligible, please contact the school so we can help you access the support available.
Please contact Mrs Katie Slusar-Fletcher (for KS3) [email protected] or Mr Jamie Freeman (for KS4) [email protected] in confidence with any queries regarding Free School Meals or Pupils Premium.
Children under 19 at the start of the academic year may be eligible if their parents or carers are claiming one of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit (with annual net earned income of no more than 拢7,400, assessed over up to three recent periods)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (if not entitled to Working Tax Credit and with annual gross income of no more than 拢16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for four weeks after stopping qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Important update:听From March 2025, families who no longer meet the eligibility criteria will continue to receive free school meals until the end of their current phase of education (primary or secondary).
A child is only eligible once a claim has been made and verified by the school or local authority.
You can apply online via听鈥檚 website.
- The form is quick and easy to complete
- All information is confidential
- You鈥檒l receive an instant response confirming eligibility
Children in Key Stage 2 who qualify for Pupil Premium automatically receive free school meals. In addition, Pupil Premium pupils may receive holiday vouchers and access to free holiday activities, including a nutritious lunchtime meal.
Please complete a Pupil Premium application form if you think you may be eligible鈥攊t benefits your child, your family, and our school community.