Free School Meals / Universal Free School Meals  -

Important Information regarding School Dinners and Free School Meals

• What's the difference between Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) and Free School Meals (FSM)?

UIFSM = Universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) provides funding for all government funded schools to offer free meals to pupils in reception, year 1, and year 2 only.

                         UIFSM are not the same as Free School Meals (FSM). 

FSM= This is via application only and applies to ALL school years.

Please find below a few facts about this initiative which you may find useful and which might answer some of your questions.

1. FSM are for those children whose family may not have the financial means to pay for their meals- there are various criteria which need to be met and once they are the child will be entitled to Free School Meals regardless of their age. Fill in your application here:        

                                      https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/kent/

2. If you think that you might meet the criteria for FSM then you will be able to apply on line and should be able to get an instant decision. Alternatively you can speak to Mrs Hogg in the office who is able to assist in this area.

3. Any child who is eligible for FSM also attracts additional funding (Pupil Premium)to help that child at school - £1300 from September 2014, so of course for schools and pupils it is really helpful that parents continue to apply for FSM.

1. If you do not apply for FSM, when your child moves to KS2 they will no longer get a free school meal as the new scheme of UIFSM only applies to Key Stage One– Years R, 1 and 2 and the school will miss out on extra funding.

2. Children already receiving FSM will be unaffected by this change to the meals.

UIFSM

1. From September 2014 all children in Year R, 1 and 2 are entitled to a free school meal (UIFSM) however this does not mean that these children have to have a school dinner they can still have a packed lunch.

2. Funding is on the basis of the number of children who take up the infant school meals on a specific day and it would really help us if on this day that we could encourage as many children as possible to have the meals. For example if 10 children have meals on this day we will get funding for 10, if later down the line 20 children decide they want it the school will have to find the funding from its main budget which will mean less money to spend on other areas! So it is really important that as many children as possible have the meals on this day.

3. Whole School Meals will continue to provide the meals from Hornbeam Primary School

5. Information is coming out all of the time so when we find out anything new we will keep you posted.

Free school meals

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

• Universal Credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
• 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 guaranteed 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 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.

 For more information, go to:

kent.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals

FAQ