Free School Meal Application

How to apply for Free School Meals and Pupil Premium

If you believe that your child/ren are eligible for Free School Meals please apply online at https://pps.lgfl.org.uk and get an immediate answer.

The Government gives money to schools to help children from families with lower incomes do their very best. This funding is called a ‘Pupil Premium’ and is based on the number of children who are entitled to free school meals.

All pupils in Reception to Year 2 are provided with a Universal Free School Meal.  However, to be entitled to Pupil Premium funding, parents must make an application for Free School Meals (FSM). Therefore whichever year group your child is in, please apply for free school meals if they are eligible – even if they have a packed lunch or are in Reception to Year 2 and already have a Universal Free School Meal.

This funding allows us to provide an even better education for your child through the purchase of additional resources or staff to support learning. It will also allow your child to have a free meal at school in all year groups.
Are you eligible?

You can register your child for Free School Meals if you receive any of these benefits:

  • Income Support
  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
  • Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
  • Universal Credit – if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
  • the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • Some groups with No Recourse to Public Funds (please contact the office for further information)
Please note you are not eligible if you are in receipt of Working Tax Credit.

How to apply:

  1. Registering is quick and easy – apply online at https://pps.lgfl.org.uk and get an immediate answer. If you are eligible, the school will be notified within 5 working days. Please check both parents as only one parent needs to be eligible for a child to receive free school meals.
  2. Or, please come to the office to complete an application form (Barnet residents only). You will need to provide your national insurance number and date of birth.
  3. If you want your child to have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime that’s great – they will get the free meal, saving you more than £350 a year.
  4. If you don’t want your child to have the free school meals, they can continue as normal – as long as you qualify and are registered, you still get discounts for some educational activities from the extra funding the school receives.
  5. If you have any problems with applying for this support, please contact our school office on 0208 8353 4249, office@watlingparkschool.org.uk

No one will know you have registered and it will not affect any other benefits you are claiming.

You can find out more information by clicking this link Free school meals | Barnet Council

The information that you supply to register for Pupil Premium will be held securely and will only be used for the purpose of establishing entitlement to Pupil Premium and to contact other sources, as allowed by law, to verify your initial and continuing entitlement.