Free School Meals --- I'm so confused!

ChangeMyNameAllTheTime29 · 2020-10-01T17:06:55+00:00

I have a DD 5 in year 1 and she is entitled to free school meals until she is in year 2. My DS 3 has just started the nursery school and theyve asked us to apply for free school meals for him. But according to the requirements for it DP earns too much It says if your on UC and working and earning less than £1,850.00 for 3 payment periods then youd be entitled to FSM... DP earnt £2700 in 3 pay periods so we arnt entitled to FSM for DS But we are for DD the year above and we will be next year for DS? This makes no sense to me! I just dont understand it, please can somebody explain it to me? Nursery was £5 a week for his dinners. School want £10.50 which literally double what we paid at nursery

SleepingStandingUp · 01/10/2020 18:08

Because free school meals cover ALL children in Reception to Yr2

It doesn't cover nursery because it isn't obligatory for them to be in all day. Lots of schools only offer half day nurseries etc

ExclamationPerfume · 01/10/2020 18:08

All infants get free school meals. Nursery isn't included in that.

TheFormerPorpentinaScamander · 01/10/2020 18:09

Isn't it because all children in years R-2 get fsm regardless of income? So your ds is to young this year, but will get them next year when he starts school.

borageforager · 01/10/2020 18:09

Free school meals are universal in R, Y1 and Y2, and income assessed for all other years.

Boom45 · 01/10/2020 18:09

All infant school children get free meals irrespective of income. Free School Meals for other children is means tested.

Camomila · 01/10/2020 18:12

It might be a mistake, or maybe nursery children are entitled to FSM like infants? I'd email the school office to check.

Original poster

ChangeMyNameAllTheTime29 · 01/10/2020 18:16

Sorry forgot to add to my OP it says Nursery School children are only eligible for free school meals if they are being taught before and after the lunch break on www.gettherightschool.co.uk/isyourchildentitledtofreeschoolmeals.html

Which is what's made it even more confusing

OP posts:

ChaChaCha2012 · 01/10/2020 18:19

That means they're only entitled if they are there for both sessions and you meet the FSM financial criteria.

MissClarke86 · 01/10/2020 18:20

Nursery Children might be entitled to means tested free school meals (based on income), but not universal free school meals (ALL children in F2, Y1 or Y2). There’s two types.

sonypony · 01/10/2020 18:22

What they have asked you to apply for, if you are entitled to it, is pupil premium. This is often called 'free school meals' as it also comes with free school meals for the child in addition to the pupil premium funding money given to the school. This is for any age. However, totally separate to that there is also universal free school meals for years R, 1 and 2 but the school don't get additional funding.

MintyMabel · 01/10/2020 18:46

What they have asked you to apply for, if you are entitled to it, is pupil premium.

No, what they have asked her to apply for is free school meals. If they want a pupil premium, they will apply for it.

HardAsSnails · 01/10/2020 18:55

@sonypony

What they have asked you to apply for, if you are entitled to it, is pupil premium. This is often called 'free school meals' as it also comes with free school meals for the child in addition to the pupil premium funding money given to the school. This is for any age. However, totally separate to that there is also universal free school meals for years R, 1 and 2 but the school don't get additional funding.

Not quite, Free School Meals are a qualifier for Pupil Premium.

OP, as others have said, you're confusing means tested FSM with the universal free meals for infants.

TeaAndHobnob · 01/10/2020 18:57

@sonypony

What they have asked you to apply for, if you are entitled to it, is pupil premium. This is often called 'free school meals' as it also comes with free school meals for the child in addition to the pupil premium funding money given to the school. This is for any age. However, totally separate to that there is also universal free school meals for years R, 1 and 2 but the school don't get additional funding.

No, PP is separate to FSM.

lifesalongsong · 01/10/2020 19:00

@MintyMabel

What they have asked you to apply for, if you are entitled to it, is pupil premium.

No, what they have asked her to apply for is free school meals. If they want a pupil premium, they will apply for it.

It might have changed since my DC were at primary but then the parent had to applytoqualify for FSM which triggered a PP payment for the school, as far as I can remember that was how it worked I'm pretty sure the school didn't have to apply for anything.

Intelinside57 · 01/10/2020 19:02

Free School Meals are not a qualifier for Pupil Premium. This school explains it all very well. If you are eligible - apply - you will be helping the school financially. www.deanesfieldschool.org.uk/are-you-eligible-for-pupil-premium-1/]

IndecentFeminist · 01/10/2020 19:03

It's really not confusing. If your child is in nursery at the required times and is eligible financially they will receive free meals.

All children in primary school regardless of income get a free lunch. Yr 3 upwards will only get the free lunch if financially eligible, as per nursery.

Intelinside57 · 01/10/2020 19:03

"No, what they have asked her to apply for is free school meals. If they want a pupil premium, they will apply for it."
The school cannot make the application for pupil premium, parents have to do it.

LJZRBB · 01/10/2020 19:11

If a child is entitled to FSM at one point in time. They are entitled (even if your circumstances change) for the time they are at their current school. (Eg year 7 at secondary until year 11)

Or something along those lines. Haven’t worded that well.

So presumably you were entitled when DD started school. But you are not now for DS?

HardAsSnails · 01/10/2020 19:14

[quote Intelinside57]Free School Meals are not a qualifier for Pupil Premium. This school explains it all very well. If you are eligible - apply - you will be helping the school financially. www.deanesfieldschool.org.uk/are-you-eligible-for-pupil-premium-1/][/quote]
Erm, yes, they are one of them, if a child is eligible for FSM (or was) then the school gets PP.

HardAsSnails · 01/10/2020 19:16

@Intelinside57

"No, what they have asked her to apply for is free school meals. If they want a pupil premium, they will apply for it." The school cannot make the application for pupil premium, parents have to do it.

No! Parents apply for FSM, schools can then apply for PP based on that.

MintyMabel · 01/10/2020 19:42

It might have changed since my DC were at primary but then the parent had to applytoqualify for FSM which triggered a PP payment for the school, as far as I can remember that was how it worked I'm pretty sure the school didn't have to apply for anything.

No, that’s pretty much how it is. A parent doesn’t apply for PP, they apply for school meals. The school applies for PP using FSM as a reason.

Parents don’t apply for PP.

Butteredtoast55 · 01/10/2020 19:58

Erm, yes, they are one of them, if a child is eligible for FSM (or was) then the school gets PP.
What this actually means is if they were eligible in the past on the day that the annual census was taken (which happens to be today in some areas!). This puts a child on a 'Free School Meals Ever 6' list (for 6 years, sometimes Ever 7) so regardless of if they were only eligible for one week in their entire school career, they get their Pupil Premium for the next few years.
Conversely, a child might be on the free school meals list for 364 days in a year but if they are not on the day of the census, they won't be eligible. Children who are on the Free School Meals list (including Ever 6) get Pupil premium as do children in foster care, adopted, with parents in the forces etc.

Original poster

ChangeMyNameAllTheTime29 · 01/10/2020 20:33

So presumably you were entitled when DD started school. But you are not now for DS?

The whole thing is confusing me. DD is automatically entitled to FSM from reception till year 1, nothing to do with our income,

So I just cant wrap my head around why DD is entitled to free school meals but her brother isnt? The gov uk website says

Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both

younger than the compulsory age for starting school
in full-time education

Which he is. Hes 3 ( 4 in November & I'm pretty sure the compulsary age is 5) and he is in 9:30 till 2:45pm which is classed as fulltime isnt it?

DD didnt go to the nursery school so I've never had to bother with any of this before

OP posts:

Butteredtoast55 · 01/10/2020 20:45

It is because all children get free school meals if they are in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. This was introduced under the coalition government as it had been a Lib Dem pledge so it was a bit of a compromise.
Other children MAY be entitled to free school meals but your DS isn't because he isn't in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 and, as you have explained, your income doesn't meet the threshold.

Xuli · 01/10/2020 20:51

It's quite straightforward. Kids in years R through 2 get free school meals - all kids, regardless of parent income.

Kids in nursery and year 3 onwards only got free meals if they are eligible because of their parents lower income.