Free School Meals

Which pupils qualify for free school meals?

We want to make sure that we are providing your child with the best education and support we can. Healthy school food has obvious health benefits and can help pupils establish healthy habits for life. Healthy school food can also help to improve pupils’ readiness to learn.

Families who receive certain benefits may be eligible for free school meals.  Your child is eligible for free school meals if you’re in receipt of one of the following benefits:

  • Universal Credit, provided they have an annual net earned income not exceeding £7,400 (£616.67 per month)
  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The guarantee element of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit, provided they are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by HMRC
  • Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

There will be changes to Free School Meal Eligibility from September 2026. Please see further down for more information.

We operate a biometric system at The Colne Community School so free school meals are anonymous at the till point.

What are the benefits of claiming free school meals?

School meals are a good way to ensure that your child eats well at lunchtime, and they can also save you time and money. Claiming free school meals also helps the school. We get extra funding, known as the ‘pupil premium’, for every eligible pupil who is registered. Your child may then become eligible for assistance with paying for items such as resources and trips.

More information on ‘pupil premium’ can be found on our website.

The more eligible pupils that are registered for free school meals, the more funding the school receives. Registering does not mean your child has to take up free school meals if they don’t want to. You should still register for free school meals even if you would rather your child had a different meal, such as a packed lunch

How to register for free school meals

Please click on the link below to apply for free school meals:

https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/ofsm-east

 

Changes to Free School Meal Eligibility from September 2026

Free School Meal Eligibility Changes for the new Academic Year 2026/27 for students currently in years 7-10.  

Free School Meals eligibility is changing from the start of the new academic year, and you will need to apply if you meet the new criteria. From September 2026, the Government is expanding access to Free School Meals so that all children and young people from households receiving Universal Credit can apply. There will be 2 categories of eligibility:

Eligible Targeted: this covers children in households receiving Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less, as well as those receiving certain other qualifying benefits or with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). These children may also attract additional support for their school, such as pupil premium funding, and access to schemes such as the Holiday Activities and Food programme.

Eligible Expanded: this covers children in households receiving Universal Credit with annual household earnings exceeding £7,400 per year. These children will be entitled to Free School Meals only.

Due to these changes, all families will be required to apply from 1 June 2026. We strongly recommend applying online as early as possible via the link here. Before starting your application, please ensure you have your National Insurance number and details of your benefits to hand.

 Before applying, please ensure you have:

  • Your National Insurance number
  • Details of your benefits (such as a Universal Credit statement if requested)

Please note that applications during this period may take longer to process due to a high volume of requests. If your child is currently receiving Free School Meals, their eligibility will continue until the end of the current school year regardless of the outcome of your new application. Once your application has been processed, you will receive confirmation of the outcome. If you are eligible, we will confirm the category your child qualifies under and the level of support they will receive. If your child is eligible under the Targeted category, they may also be entitled to additional support for the duration of the academic year. If your child is eligible under the Expanded category, they will receive Free School Meals. If your circumstances change and you believe you may qualify for the Targeted category, you should reapply so your eligibility can be reassessed.

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact the admin team.

Tel: 01206 303511           Email: mail@colne.school