To claim free school dinners?

You should claim it! The number of children on FSM can also entitle the school to other things that will benefit your children indirectly.

Edit: more to the point, striking teachers want your children fed. They want this to be fully costed not non-existent!

Salaries and other school expenses are all separately ring fenced. Claim.it.

It wouldn't achieve that, unfortunately - even if FSM provision were to be returned to the LA, the funding is still calculated upon the number of eligible students. It would just become another aspect in the top slicing from the GAG.

Whether that's true or not it's still coming out your schools budget. Unless the government funded local authorities to provide a school meals service and took the schools own budget out of the equation...

Teachers are always striking, take the free school meals

The more kids on school meals, the more funding school recieves so yes claim it.

That's the catering company's decision, though, not the schools'. Frankly, if the government increased FSM funding to a fiver a day, the catering companies would charge £7.

It's good for schools if you are FSM (ratehr than the infant universal) as they receive extra funding. Although the cost of the school meals (both free and universal) exceeds the funding that the government provides so there is a cost to your school for them. Another thing marketed by the government as free or funded that actually isnt fully and comes out of your schools budget.

Yes I thought the more kids on school meals the more funding the school gets.

Yes that's true that it won't affect PP but you should still definitely claim what you are eligible for. Schools will get an additional grant next academic year to cover the additional meals

What is FSM funding?

FSM funding isn’t a separate pot of money given directly to schools for meals. Instead, it’s a measure of deprivation used by the government to allocate additional educational funding.

If a pupil is eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), the school receives extra funding to support that child’s education.

Pupil Premium (England)

This is the main funding linked to FSM.

How it works

Schools receive money for pupils who:

• Are currently eligible for FSM, or
• Have been eligible for FSM at any point in the last 6 years (called Ever 6 FSM)

Current funding rates (approx.)

• Primary pupils: ~£1,455 per pupil per year
• Secondary pupils: ~£1,035 per pupil per year

(Rates can change slightly each year.)

What can schools use FSM/Pupil Premium funding for?

Schools must use the funding to:

• Reduce the attainment gap
• Improve academic outcomes
• Support wellbeing, attendance, and behaviour

Common uses include:

• Extra teaching or tutoring
• Small group interventions
• Pastoral and mental health support
• Attendance initiatives
• Learning resources or enrichment activities

If you're eligible, you claim, end of. Don't feel bad.

Same here. It's been in the weekly newsletter for months. School are DESPERATE for people to claim.

All funding is collected in the autumn one now. Saves me one job to do now, although I had more than enough to keep me busy at the start of the year anyhow.

Claim for both children. Its not just about Meals... the school gets extra funding per PP child.

Doesn't cost the school. It actually significantly increases funding (by nowhere near enough, but still significantly).

So do claim whether or not you intend taking the meals.

Our head teacher specifically asked for everyone to claim free school meals (as in register / fill in the paperwork) even if they don't use it.

I will be claiming in September. It will save us about £50 a month.

Yes, please claim.

All schools including the one i work in, are absolutely desperate for parents who might be eligible to apply.

You should apply now - school census in January sets the numbers for Pupil Premium, which gives additional funding for children who have been eligible for FSM

It doesn't matter that your child receives universal free school meals, pupil premium funding is separate. In primary it's an extra £1480 per child per year.

It disadvantages the school if those that are entitled don’t claim.

Claim without hesitation and feel no guilt whatsoever about it. It actually helps the school finances - they get reimbursed for FSM, plus schools get extra funding for having higher number of children who have FSM. And more to the point, it helps you feed your children, which is what it’s there for.

I absolutely hate that the school has communicated so poorly with you that you are considering not claiming FSM your children are going to be entitled to. Any situation with the financial difficulties of the Trust is not relevant to FSM at all and whether or not you or anyone else claims school dinners won’t have an impact. It’s their problem and responsibility to make the budget balance. Either they should have explained the situation far more clearly to parents or they shouldn’t have brought it to your attention at all.

Of course you should claim it. You are meant to. The school financial mismanagement is not your problem.

Claim it, why wouldn’t you?! I am intrigued by your numbers though , £30 a month?! When Dts were in primary it was £120/month!

The schools want people to be claiming free school meals. They get additional funding for everyone who is eligible. Ours are regularly asking parents to check if they’re eligible so they can get more money.