Pupil Premium and Free School Meals

If you feel that, due to your circumstances, your child is eligible for ‘free school meals’ we want to encourage you to register them. If you want your child to have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime that’s great – they will get the free meal, saving you more than £350 a year. Children in reception, year 1 or year 2 get free school meals anyway through a different scheme. But if they are eligible for free school meals, we still really would like you to register.

Why register for free school meals?

Children who are registered for free school meals don’t have to eat them if you prefer them to have packed lunches. At Stokenham Area Primary School we get an additional £1,480 for every eligible pupil who is registered for free school meals. This extra money could make a real difference to the quality of education we offer.

Every child registered for free school meals makes a big difference to the school. We’ve

previously used pupil premium funding for:

• Educational provision/resources

• Academic interventions

• Teacher CPD to improve Teaching and Learning

• Additional music lessons for your child

What is pupil premium funding?

Pupil premium funding from the government is given to schools to help pupils reach their full potential, regardless of their background or financial situation. It’s provided for pupils who:

• Are registered for free school meals

• Have been registered for free school meals at any point in the past 6 years

• Are, or have been, in care

• Have parents in the Armed Forces

If your child qualifies for Pupil Premium funding, we will automatically credit their account at school to help you with funding towards – e.g:

• School trips and residentials

• School uniform

• After school clubs on school premises

• Music lessons

Is my child eligible for free school meals?

Your child might be eligible if you access:

• Income Support

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or 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

• Universal Credit, provided you have an annual net earned income not exceeding

£7,400 (£616.67 per month)

 

Universal infant free school meals

Currently, pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 are entitled to a free school meal thanks to a different government funding scheme known as universal infant free school meals (UIFSM). You shouldn’t confuse UIFSM with free school meals and the pupil premium. If your child is in reception, year 1 or year 2 and is eligible for free school meals according to the criteria above, you should still register because we will receive the extra pupil premium funding and can credit their account to help with school trips etc.

 

Does my child have to eat the free school meals?

No. Pupils who are registered for free school meals do not have to eat them. If you’re eligible but you want your child to have packed lunches you should still register because the school will receive the funding which can support your child in other ways.

 

How do I register?

1. Registering is really quick and easy – you can apply online at

https://www.devon.gov.uk/support-schools-settings/administration-and-

finance/administration/free-school-meals/ and get an immediate answer.

https://oneonline.devon.gov.uk/CCSCitizenPortal_LIVE/en?ReturnUrl=%2FCCSCitiz

enPortal_live

2. Your child will have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime saving you more than £350 a year.

3. If you don’t want your child to have the free school meals, they can continue as normal – as long as you qualify and are registered, you still get funding from school to help towards educational activities and school uniform.

4. If you have any problems with applying for this support, please contact Mrs Lewis in

the office on 01548 580 551 or via email stokenham@southhamsfederation.org.uk

All queries will be in the strictest confidence.

More information

Information can be found here: Pupil premium - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) For more information about pupil premium go to our website, which contains details of how the pupil premium has been spent in the past academic year and how it will be spent this year.

If you have any questions or specific concerns, please contact Mrs Lewis (Admin) or Mrs Page, Pupil Premium Lead for the South Hams Federation via the school admin email stokenham@southhamsfederation.org.uk.