Free school meals and Smart Cards???

[Sarannie]

Hi, my daughter is entitled to free meals at secondary school and has just moved to a school where (hurrah!) they have introduced Smart cards.
Please can someone explain how they work. I believe that the daily meal amount is put on each day but after break so that children can't spend their allowance on snacks. Can I put extra money on to the card so that she can buy something at break?
Thank you

[MrsMorgan]

Hi, my eldest is at secondary school and gets free school meals. Her account is credited with £1.90 every day and she can spend it at break or lunch.

I top it up so they she can spend £2.50 a day though because £1.90 doesn't actually cover a whole meal and a drink at her school.

[ShrinkingViolet]

at our school, yes you can top up the cards, but the daily free meals allowance is only valid on that day (so you can't save it up and have a blow out on a Friday for example). Anything you top up yourself stays though.

[Sarannie]

Ah thanks very much. Yes I agree £1.90 isn't much for a teenager.

[bruffin]

Our smartcard is £2 a day, but mine don't get free meals. If they go over the £2 they pay with cash, but they tell me it's never more than about 10p

We have a choice of freechoice or meal of the day where the dcs are limited to a proper 2 course meal.