AIBU to think there is a stigma attached to taking up Free School Meals?

[cingolimama]

Would really value MNers experience here. DH and I have had a pretty disastrous year financially (redundancy for DH, drying up of contracts for me). However we are both working hell for leather to turn this around. In the meantime we're eligible for FSM, which frankly would be a big help. I also know that it helps the school gain a Pupil Premium.

But I'm a bit nervous about this. I don't want my daughter to be "targeted for help" as I believe anyone benefiting from FSM is (but perhaps I'm being idiotic - DD could surely use a booster in maths dept.) I also don't want any social stigma attached to this. It's a mixed school socially, but the majority is very middle class. Has anyone had any negative experience of taking this up? Or AIBU and it will all be fine?

[blueemerald]

I've just finished my PGCE and have to say that every student teacher I came across (around 50 across the year) was given a class list for every class (secondary school) with FSM marked on. There were revision classes that only students with FSM were allowed to attend regardless of under/over achievement.

Schools are harshly judged by how their students on FSM achieve so every class teacher I've met knows exactly who gets them and who doesn't. That said I've never seen it make a difference to how a student is treated.

[teacherandguideleader]

Our school tries to convince everyone to sign up as it gets us more money. You may also benefit from cheaper trips. No one really knows who gets FSM. The only time you might notice is on trips when they get a free packed lunch. Whenever I have taken a trip the FSM kids take their own lunch so as not to get singled out, I collect the number of free meals my group would be 'entitled' to and dish it out to whoever wants / needs it. Bizarrely none of them turn down free food!

[MrsBW]

I had FSM as a child. I had a little card I had to hand over Instead of cash, i.e. it was obvious I was a FSM kid... No paying online then.

No one said a word to me about it in the 4 years I claimed it.

[float62]

I do think it's a bit bizarre that the working low-paid (eg; those who get Working Tax Credits) aren't entitled to FSMs. It seems that it's only people on 'out of work' benefits that qualify, so it's not necessarily an 'economically' driven policy but one that can be used to ascertain quickly how many children live in households without a 'working parent'. It also assumes that a child will be academically disadvantaged because of this although this might not be the case. Surely the Pupil Premium should be used for 'whole school' enrichment or I can see that some subconscious 'labelling' of all FSM children as being less academically encouraged at home would occur by school staff.

[FranklymydearIdontgiveadamn]

Believe me as a teacher I have a million and one things to worry about each day without concerning myself about who is getting free meals or not

[FranklymydearIdontgiveadamn]

Float62, this is exactly how it works in Northern Ireland schools. It just does not correlate that free school meals equals a need for extra curriculum help.

[JakeBullet]

I am entitled to FSM for DS and claim for them as his school get's a Premium for this. However, DS is autistic and hates school dinners with a passion. So I claim for them but he takes packed lunch which is fine with me although I have to admit NOT having an extra task in the mornings would be nice :)

[float62]

Yes, Frankly I'm sure that you do, it's just what Blue said about the revision classes being only available to FSM pupils. They should be available to all who need it as I'm sure there are those without FSMs who do and those with FSMs who don't, even if they are funded by the Pupil Premium). I still think that families on WTC should get FSMs, particularly as the Universal Credit caps are higher than the household income caps for FSMs (and I'm not benefits bashing if people suspect I am!).

[noisytoys]

Back when I was in primary school the FSM children had to queue up separately to the children who paid for their meal, in secondary the FSM children had a meal ticket they tore out of a raffle style book. Thankfully a lot has changed since them days.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

When I was at school I had no idea that FSM existed! At primary we all had an envelope in our desk to put our dinner money in, you went up to the teacher on Monday morning, gave her the envelope and told her how many days you would be having school dinner. Obv the FSM children just handed over an empty envelope, but no-one knew. At secondary your name was on a list and you just gave your name to the dinner lady and she ticked you off.

[Feenie]

Not even the teachers know who gets free school meals

Not true, I'm afraid - as a previous poster said, we need to know exactly who they are and we have to compile separate data on their attainment and achievement.

As a different poster said though, all sorts of different kinds of families receive free school meals, and no one at school bats an eyelid - it's just another list and another source of data, like how the boys in my class do in writing or how EAL children are achieving in Maths.

[sameoldIggi]

Secondary teacher. Never have a clue which kids gets fsm, only time it would ever come up for me is if there was a trip and then those children would get a packed lunch with them. Here, getting fsm would mean you could get help at the school's discretion with other costs such as educational trips. But I wouldn't be told about that personally.

If this makes things easier for your family in other areas, then please take it.

[BoundandRebound]

Yabu

No stigma, no way of telling at point of purchase

We get money for children on FSM for 6 years which is used to support underprivileged students

[BackforGood]

Even if there were some people who would treat anyone differently (can't imagine this happening myself), I'm not sure how you think pople would know anyway - they don't make children taking up FSMs wear an orange boilersuit you know

[CorrinaKedavra]

Blimey, have just looked up the percentage of FSM in DD's naice secondary in one of the richer areas (she gets the bus ) and it has tripled in just three years.

They use cashless cards too. I used to pay on-line but now she's on FSM the money is just added automatically every week.

[morethanpotatoprints]

I do think the OP is right to ask because we had negative experiences but it was many years ago. My older ds would have been singled out when they were at school. It sounds like it has changed for the good though now.
They used to have to carry a pass which the dc all referred to as a "Scav Pass". When we were entitled my dc refused because of the stigma attached to the pass and the fact that all their friends would know. So we had to manage without as I couldn't force them, it was an appauling system now, looking back. They are 22 and 18 now so it wasn't in the dark ages.

[EhricLovesTeamQhuay]

I was worried about this. I'm a student so zero income for the next year. I decided that if anyone developed any preconceptions about DS they would be dispelled when they got to know him so

[Talkinpeace]

DCs school keeps asking me if we are eligible as they REALLY REALLY want the extra £900 per year per pupil that comes with it ....

Its a secondary : the FSM kids get their biometric accounts topped up automatically and the kids all swap food anyway - it is really no big thing

DCs have worked out who the real hardship kids are - who get free breakfast as well - but as a couple of them are amazing at sport its not a bullying issue

Think of it this way
you save money on packed lunches AND the school gets extra funds
no brainer

[TheSnowFairy]

Corrina the reason the numbers have tripled is that FSM students are now called Ever6. This means that if you have ever been entitled to free school meals within the last 6 years you are eligible for funding.

OP - no stigma at all in my school. You may get substantial discounts on trips too so well worth applying for if you can.

[Evasmummy11]

I qualified for free school meals at secondary school, I was given a ticket book for the month, I went to a 'normal' mix of everybody type of school and honestly no one cared! It was no big deal, but then my parents never made a big deal out of it either, so maybe you should relax and stop fretting over it

[UniS]

NO stigma at DS's school. Meal ticket books are handed out at start of half term to those who have prepaid on line or have FSM, a ticket is handed in every day a meal is wanted. On trips the option of, school packed lunch in exchange for a meal ticket, is given to every family on the trip permission slip. Take up is high on trips as plenty of regular school dinner families don't want to make a packed lunch.

[vj32]

There is no stigma attached to FSM but in secondary schools the system can be badly administered - having to queue twice for your token and then your meal so you are always at the back of the lunch queue for example. In other schools where its all electronic other children would never know. So, depends.

[Spikeytree]

FSM are part of the narrowing the gap agenda, so of course we teachers know who they are as they have their own section on the results analysis. PP money in our school is spent on one-to-one help in English and Maths for those on FSM who need it, not all children on FSM need the help (quite a lot who aren't do, but that's another debate).

No stigma here, we are cashless and use fingerprints to get lunch, so in the queue no-one would know. For trips most children on FSM bring their own packed lunch and we always have lots of lunches left and they usually get shared out among the ever hungry teenage boys.

Incidentally I was on FSM at school myself.

[grants1000]

I'm with you OP, DS1 starts secondary school in Sept & DH just lost his job, not been paid, long story. There is now way he's starting on FSM, just don't want him being flagged up/noted. It just sits with me badly, don't know why, I just want him to start normally, he's dyslexic and already gets additional support & I don't want the two sandwiched together because they are not linked!

Daft or not, it's the way I feel!,

[manicinsomniac]

Slightly off topic but can anyone who teaches in the state system tell me if using fsm as a determining factor for extra money is really logical?

Is there much of a correlation between those who struggle academically and those on low income?

I work in a private school and 30-40% are on the SEND register but all bar the bursary students (who obviously need no help!) are well above the fsm threshold.

Doesn't seem like the two things link to me.