School Meals Guidance (including Free School Meals guidance)
Infant free school meals in England
Your child will be able to get free school meals if they’re in a government-funded school and in:
- reception class
- year 1
- year 2
Key Stage two (Year 3 to Year 6)
In Key Stage 2, pupils are not entitled to ‘Infant Free School Meals’. However, parents may meet criteria that enables their child to continue to receive free school meals. The school office will be more than happy to guide and assist you in this checking process.
Free School Meals Eligibility Checker
Our front office can check if you are entitled to FREE SCHOOL MEALS. Alternatively, you can self-check using LGFL FSM Eligibility Checker online tool. Here's how you access this checker yourself as a parent:
Use this weblink: https://pps.lgfl.org.uk/
To apply, scroll to the bottom of the page and click…CHECK ELEGIBILITY
Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
- 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
- Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.
Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both:
- younger than the compulsory age for starting school
- in full-time education
If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2023.
For those pupils that are not entitled to free school meals:
- School meals cost =£2.20 a day
- School meals should be paid for in advance, either weekly of half-termly.
Weekly = £11.00
- Lunch money should be paid in advance on a Monday morning. If you wish your child to take a meal on an ad hoc basis we suggest you send in £11.00 which will be credited to their account and would enable them to take a lunch on 5 occasions.
Methods of payment outlined below:
- Online Using ParentMail (see the attached ParentMail explanation poster)
- Cash on a Monday, in an envelope clearly stating child’s name, class and amount
- We accept cheques made payable to: Coopersale & Theydon Garnon CE Primary School
Please state clearly on envelope child’s name and class.