Free school meals for KS1

[Bid876]

Can someone please tell me if I’m right. All children in KS1 so Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 receive free school meals? This is based on the class they are in and not their age.

Im asking as my DDs (year 2) school have started charging for school dinners since Christmas, they are claiming because she turns 8 this year and it is based on her dob not her year group. Dd was deferred a year so is in the year group below her birth cohort.

At first they claimed it was because she was put on the year 3/4 register. We are working on moving her up a year but she still dose her core subjects with year 2 and our agreement with the school was it would be a gradual movement with her moving up a year from September 2025. When queried this they changed their response to its based on her DOB.

They are probably right. What is the point of them lying? It will be in the small print.

I also think that they are probably right.

Free meals for KS1 children is probably shorthand.

So she’s in a y2 class, but should be in y3 based on her date of birth? I hadn’t thought about it but I expect the school are correct. She should be in y3 so the school won’t get the funding for her, this won’t change based on which classroom she goes to.

I believe this is correct if you read it depends on how the school counts the pupils, I also think that given that you will have already received an additional year nursery support then it makes sense.

this is from the gov website:-

“Where a school does not record pupils in year groups, we will use those aged 4, 5, or 6, on the relevant school censuses to calculate the allocations”

Hmmm, now I am not so sure as on .gov it says

Infant free school meals in England
Your child will be able to get free school meals if they’re in a government-funded schoolol_ and in:^
• reception class
• year 1
• year 2
Tell your local authority if you also get any of the qualifying benefits. Your child’s school can get extra funding if you do.

And there is no extra information or qualification. Are you in England?

To add, the reason I think this is that I am a childminder so provide the funded hours... they use headlines to grab your attention like 'free childcare for 9 month olds +' and we all know that isn't strictly true.... there's so much small print!

Yes in England. The LA website just states Reception, year 1 & 2.

@Helpfullright we didn’t get additional nursery funding as we weren’t in the UK, moved back here a month before she started school.

Im happy to pay if it’s right. We (the parents at the school) are having a number of issues with the school and new HT who is very focused on money, upping the costs of everything and suddenly adding extra costs on to things that have never been charged for before ( example school trip has suddenly increased £10/child without any notice or reason). So I just want to make sure it’s right.

I'd just ask them where they are getting the information from then, as it says otherwise on .gov and the LEA website.

the logic applies though they won’t take into account you not being in the country.

You need the gov guidelines document that is available to search for vs the LA.

Also it sounds like you didn’t apply for a deferred reception place if not in the country and the school are doing it out of good will?

That could be the issue.

Yes we did, we went through the LA and got her officially deferred.

Schools are having to scramble for every penny as they don't get enough funding now from the government. A lot of things that were in regular place at schools have gone. We daughters school have lost reading/homework diaries now, glue sticks are like gold dust, pens, pencils etc.... are all in short supply and some parents are refusing to supply them for their child so it is putting a lot of pressure on other parents who are supplying this stuff to share it out amongst their class "friends". I had words the other day with her teacher after my child got through 3 glue sticks in a week as she was expected to share them with 8 other children all week. I have no problem with taking supplies in, but I don't expect to have to supply the whole class!

Your headteacher will be making these decisions about charging for trips etc... as otherwise they just wouldn't run as schools can't afford to subsidise them anymore.

Thanks everyone. I’ve emailed the LA for clarity on the matter and will see what they come back with.

If she's officially been deferred why would she be looking to move up a year?

I suspect the problem here is that people think she's actually meant to be in the class above hence the confusion with the register?

Nope, definitely wrong assuming your child is in a mainstream school.

‘We calculate a final allocation for academic year 2024 to 2025 in June 2025 using the number of pupils recorded as taking a meal in year 1 and year 2 in the October 2024, and January 2025, school censuses. ‘

the extract referenced by @Helpfullright about not being registered in year groups will be about alternative forms of provision. Any mainstream school will definitely be recording in year groups for census purposes.

(I sign off the census in a maintained school in a county where parents have a default right for summer born children to defer (so it is a regular thing for us). if they’re in y2, they continue to be eligible for UIFSM. Sounds like they’ve not got their census submission right to get the funding, but that’s definitely not your issue…)

I understand this, I was previously a parent governor so get how short schools are on money.

its hard to explain but there are a few instances where the school hasn’t been honest, it is causing a negative feeling with what use to be a lovely school environment. There was an incident the school pulled the legal team from the LA in and I caught the HT out in an outright lie she couldn’t get out of. That and several parents having financial issues with the school is has forged feeling of mistrust with anything and everything at the moment. Hence me questioning this.

Official DFE guidance is that children should be aged 4/5/6 based on the school census data.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-infant-free-school-meals-uifsm-2024-to-2025/universal-infant-free-school-meals-uifsm-conditions-of-grant-2024-to-2025

Thank you.

I don’t want to get into reasons for the deferral, very outing. But there are several reasons for moving her up, mainly she capable of the move.

@Croissantcup On that link, it says they only do it like that if the school doesn't have year groups. Otherwise it's reception, year 1, year 2.

I mean, you've had to really stretch that sub-clause.

For csa it is also free in y2.
However if you are in process of moving up anyway i wouod just pay for them personally.
Though i also wouldnt skip y3. My eldest did ok at primary but secondary is difficult and set in odprder of sats results etc for maths

A child is entitled to free school meals in their first 3 years of primary education, which your child already have had, so why do you feel she should get another year free?

No she hasn’t, she’s been in reception, year 1 and 1 full term in year 2.

She’s not due to move up until September at which point we were expecting to start paying.