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Original poster

free school lunches

15 replies

Archie123412 · 17/01/2023 19:54

Hi everyone, maybe you can help me with this.
My partner's daughter who is 15 qualifies for free school lunches. Currently she pays £5 per day for lunch at school, sometimes it's even more, they can pick lunch from the menu and they have a card that parents can top-up. With this cost of living crisis, I suggested to apply for free school lunches but my partner is worried that because her daughter will be getting free lunches other kids might look down on her. It probably varies from school to school but normally if student is getting free school lunch do they get a card that looks different, do they get to pick lunch from the menu as everyone else, do they get the same lunches as everyone else?

OP posts:
StormiBaby · 17/01/2023 19:55

At ours you get a card same as everyone else's. The money is preloaded.

2.90 a day which covers a meal deal.

JanglyBeads · 17/01/2023 20:01

Schools are not allowed to show which kids are getting FSM these days

JanglyBeads · 17/01/2023 20:02

It's really worth applying for even if she won't use it much, because then the school will receive extra funding for her (PupilPremium) out of which you can request they pay half of trip fees, music lessons possibly, and perhaps free stationery and revision guides.

Anono2022 · 18/01/2023 21:28

I work in a school and deal with dinners. The kids have no idea who is FSM. We have to know to make sure they are receiving a lunch they are entitled to but that's all. Dinners are all served the same way no matter how they are paid for

dementedpixie · 18/01/2023 22:15

The money will be loaded onto the card. Noone would know unless she told them

UncleQuentinsWife · 19/01/2023 07:04

At our school the money is loaded on daily to stop them spending it all at once. They can buy what they want, same as everyone else.

There is a main meal and a pudding and a drink that adds up to the amount every day but you don't have to have it. And that's of course available to everyone as well.

FeinCuroxiVooz · 19/01/2023 07:10

check with the school, but any school ought to have a system as described by pp where there's no way to know. if it's credit based you can still top up the basic credit for the free meal so that she can have a more expensive choice, if you can afford to. the school will be obliged to have a choice that costs the amount of FSM credit but can offer optional extras too eg does that £5 include a canned drink or additional side dish?

Original poster
Archie123412 · 19/01/2023 14:28

you said to make sure they are receiving a lunch they are entitled to
so does it mean that kids that receive free lunches don't get to choose from the same variety as kids that pay?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 19/01/2023 14:42

It's normally a monetary amount that gets added to the card. Staff would need to know whose card needed the funds added. The children then choose their meal and use those funds.

elliejjtiny · 19/01/2023 14:45

At my dc school nobody knows who gets fsm unless the child or parent tells them.

UncleQuentinsWife · 19/01/2023 15:03

Archie123412 · 19/01/2023 14:28

you said to make sure they are receiving a lunch they are entitled to
so does it mean that kids that receive free lunches don't get to choose from the same variety as kids that pay?

No, of course not. It's not a Victorian workhouse, they can have what they like. The amount of money goes on to their account the same as every other child and they spend it same as normal.

Anono2022 · 19/01/2023 18:13

They choose off a menu. There is absolutely nothing in a school canteen that identifies a child as FSM

Original poster
Archie123412 · 20/01/2023 08:21

OK, I see, thank you for clearing that out. It's good to have people that can explain things like this as we don't have many friends with kids

OP posts:
Original poster
Archie123412 · 20/01/2023 08:22

that's great, thank you

OP posts:
MissSmiley · 20/01/2023 08:34

If she's entitled to FSM she may also be able to get help with paying for trips and other expenses related to school

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