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Related: Lockdown Learning, discuss home schooling during lockdown.
Covid
Free school meals families
Fraggle45 · 19/03/2020 11:58
Has anyone had any guidelines about the vouchers mentioned yesterday?
We have 2 children who receive the pupil premium for free school meals but haven't heard anything
We did remove them from school on Monday so haven't been able to pop in to the office and ask
hoxtonbabe · 19/03/2020 17:20
I asked about this at my DS school whom said they hadn’t even heard about this, let alone know the rules around it to which my sons WhatsApp group basically scolded me for simply expecting them to at least have heard about it, I don’t mean they had to have a plan in action etc but just to have at least heard the announcement... like the rest of the country has, and if they had but said no further updates from the government so can’t advise, then that’s perfectly acceptable but to not have even heard about the announcement or anything at all is 
If I find out I will update you. I’m skint from all this and not only will my food bill rise due to them being home all day everyday so will my utilities etc so whatever small amount I can get it grateful for , but everyone having a go at me clearly aren’t FSM as then they would understand why I asked the school in the first place.
WrongKindOfFace · 19/03/2020 17:26
I understand that not all schools are doing vouchers at this point. I know of some who are offering a packed lunch for children to collect each day. But they should have some idea of the plans.
Is there anything in the local council website?
TheHarryFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 19/03/2020 17:39
My children’s school emailed today to say they will be giving out packed lunches to fsm children that can be collected from school.
mama3bear · 19/03/2020 17:41
We just had this from school
If your son or daughter is eligible
for free school meals, you will shortly be issued with a Tesco voucher to the
value of £42 to allow you to purchase food, either in-store or online, for the
two week period between now and the Easter holidays. This arrangement will
either continue after the Easter holidays or be replaced by any national
initiatives that may become available.
wen4567 · 19/03/2020 17:42
Does anyone know of this applies to reception/ks1 children who also get free school meals? The guidelines don't make it very clear
GrumpyHoonMain · 19/03/2020 17:51
Not all schools are providing vouchers. Many are already planning to provide food directly to pupils and the government will reimburse them.
okiedokieme · 19/03/2020 17:55
My local school is staying open for free school meals, those kids count as vulnerable so aren't being asked to stay home
PumpkinP · 19/03/2020 17:58
Not all schools I read. My children’s school haven't said anything
WhenTheDragonsCame · 19/03/2020 17:58
My daughters school is providing a food parcel tomorrow morning for the families on free school meals. I don't know what it includes but they have said to take a large STRONG bag.
Fraggle45 · 19/03/2020 18:20
I'm hoping for the voucher as I'm on the vulnerable list so will be unable to collect things and also live a 10 min drive from the school so can't really ask a neighbour etc
I've just emailed them, feel awful as know how crazy busy they must be but we've spent a lot more than budgeted for this week
hoxtonbabe · 19/03/2020 18:21
Are these schools secondary or primary? Primary may be a bit easier to coordinate
I hope I don’t get a Tesco voucher, primarily because there is nothing to purchase unless alcohol, crisps and fizzy pop and the odd frozen pizza 
Fraggle45 · 19/03/2020 18:22
It's any child who is entitled to pupil premium so will be both primary and secondary
Fraggle45 · 19/03/2020 18:23
www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-set-out-to-support-pupils-eligible-for-free-school-meals
Here's what the government have posted about it
PumpkinP · 19/03/2020 18:25
Not heard a single thing from our school, if it’s meals to collect them I won’t be going as it involves a bus ride and trying to avoid buses.
hoxtonbabe · 19/03/2020 18:29
Sorry I mean are the posters that have said their schools have already had things put in place secondary or primary 
TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 · 21/03/2020 08:03
We got an email from school saying that they will be providing packed lunch for all Y2 and under kids and all kids entitled to free school meals.
If we want to claim we need to call on Monday and tell them what days we need, then we pick them up from school.
They have been very clear that if anyone fails to collect without good reason they will not provide any more for that family as they cannot waste food.
adiposegirl2 · 21/03/2020 08:31
You've got to hand it to the chancellor, he has made provisions for all groups
RightOnTheEdge · 21/03/2020 08:34
My dc primary school is making lunch that you have to go collect.
It will be a sandwich, veg sticks and cake.
FamilyOfAliens · 21/03/2020 08:42
We are due to be getting food hampers from the food bank for our FSM children only (not all pupil premium children are currently eligible for FSM) for the Easter holidays. I’ve issued a few food bank vouchers to families to use until then.
We will be giving lunch to the children who come into school next week, though that’s only 20% of what we normally have.
We’ve heard nothing about vouchers for supermarkets. Not surprising as we’ve not had a single communication from our local authority about any of this and we’re a maintained school.
hoxtonbabe · 24/03/2020 23:17
Has anyone actually received their vouchers ( or packed munch) from their child’s school?
duckme · 24/03/2020 23:46
We're providing packed lunches for parents to collect daily. A few have asked about vouchers, but we have had no guidance on this yet. Besides, I would be concerned that parents would struggle to buy the food with the vouchers whilst people are still panic buying. At least the children are guaranteed a meal with the packed lunches.
PumpkinP · 24/03/2020 23:48
Ours turned out to be packed lunches. Didn’t bother as not travelling out daily. Vouchers would have been much better
NotMyFinestMoment · 24/03/2020 23:57
Ours will be vouchers issued by the school. I only just found out about them and I think they will be issued this week, but for how much I do not know. They are contacting us via email and using an app specially for this which is why I didn't know (I thought the emails from the app were junk emails as they weren't coming from the usual school email address). There is also a notice on the school's website which I only just saw for the first time today.
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