School Census - Thursday

[BestOnlineCommentSite]

Had e mails from the school - they want everyone to have a school dinner as it is the school census and apparently this is based on how many have a school dinner (not how many have free school dinners). Is this true? Thank you

[FlyingFortress]

Schools with infant classes get universal infant meal funding. This funding is based upon the number of infant class pupils taking a school provided lunch, whether hot or packed, on census day. However, apart from the funding of these meals, school funding will be based on the number of pupils on the register on Thursday.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeG0es]

We've been asked to have dinner in KS2 as well. They put on the most popular meals that day to make it easier.

[Carrieswar]

Was wondering why it was changed to hot dogs this Thyrsday

[JoolsSchmools]

Ah that explains why my school are holding a "teddy bears picnic" that day and have sent texts out reminding parents to book their lunches.

[bettycat81]

We are having Burger Thursday!

[fleur34]

This explains why fish and chips ( always on a Friday!) is on Thursday this week!

[gallicgirl]

Disney dress up day at our school. Sneaky.

[mrz]

Ours is normal school day and normal lunch menu are we missing something?

[Cliffdiver]

Ditto fleur I was wondering that too.

DD1 was a bit put out it wouldn't be curry and ice cream tomorrow!

[CandODad]

It may be that funding for the infant meals is counted from thursdays lunch?

[ineedaholidaynow]

DS's old primary school always had a themed menu on census day. As governor I used to try and get him to encourage all his friends to have school dinner that day!

[breakfastnotattiffanys]

Only infant meal data is used in the census

[mrz]

The census only records pupils having free school meals (this doesn't include the free meals for infants).

[breakfastnotattiffanys]

Mrs it does!

[AnyTheWiser]

I thought it was the January census that counted FSM?

[breakfastnotattiffanys]

Sorry mrz autocorrected to Mrs! There is a specific section for infants taking meal on the census day!

[breakfastnotattiffanys]

anythewiser..October one now!

[mrz]

It only includes children in receipt of free meals because parents meet chain criteria not all infants who now get free meals.

[mrz]

It is Any

[breakfastnotattiffanys]

Check your facts tomorrow mrz ... the census definitely has a specific section for the ks1 children taking a meal tomorrow and I'm sure we had a message that this Census was taking the fsm info for pupil premium this yr

[mrz]

We've definitely been told the FSM doesn't include those infant children receiving free meals through the "free meal for children in reception and KS1" because our secretary has been chasing up parents who haven't claimed FSM (because child gets them anyway) but are entitled due to being in receipt of relevant benefits.

[JassyRadlett]

Ha! That would explain why we had an email today announcing 'taster day' when all KS1 kids can try school dinners even if they usually have a packed lunch.

[breakfastnotattiffanys]

The universal free school meals is not included in th FSM figures for pupil premium. However The census does record how many ks1 children actually have a universal free school meal for OTHER purposes

[Bunnyjo]

The DfE document supports what mrz is saying. The FSM data is only collected in spring only and if infant children are only entitled to FSM via the universal entitlement then they are excluded from the FSM data.

Copy/pasted from the document:

4.7.1 Free school meals taken [Not for: PRUs]
This records the total number of pupils who had a free school meal at lunchtime on census day. Include both day and boarding pupils to reflect what occurred on census day, unless the lunchtime situation that day was abnormal, in which case the figure is based on the next normal day. Meals provided at the beginning or end of the school day are not included in the census return.
Pupils are recorded as FSM eligible where they meet the FSM eligibility criteria (that is in respect to family income) and make a claim. Pupils who are in receipt of a free school lunch due only to the infant pupil universal entitlement are not recorded as FSM and not included in the free school meals taken record.

[potentialqualms]

Infant schools are funded for catering purposes on the assumption that the same number of children have a meal on census day as for the rest of the year.

So, if you usually get 75% of children take a meal, but can make it 85% on census day, you will be "overpaid" for the rest of the school year. The funding is supposed to go to catering, so you could the extra to improve the quality of meals, but being creative beings, I know of heads who have used it to provide a cookery club and refurbish the dining hall. At our school we have been able to build an actual kitchen for the children to use with the surplus built up over the last 3 years. It makes a huge difference to school funding.