At South Pennine Academies, we want every student to have the best possible chance to
achieve in school. Stronger partnerships with families, local businesses, community
agencies and universities are essential as we focus on improving student outcomes.
All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state-funded schools in England are eligible for free school meals.
Means-tested free school meals
Eligibility
You can get free school meals if your child attends a local authority maintained school (not private) and you receive one of the following:
Income Support (IS)
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA)
An income-related employment and support allowance
Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Child Tax Credit (provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income (as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) that does not exceed the current year’s level
the Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after your employment finished, or after you start to work less than 16 hours per week.
Universal Credit, provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400 (£616.67 per month) )
Additionally:
You, as the parent or guardian, must Receive Child Benefit for the child you are responsible for.
Children who receive IS or IBJSA in their own right are also entitled to receive free school meals.
Children who receive “education suitable for children who have not attained compulsory school age” will still need to satisfy the additional requirement of “receiving education both before and after the lunch period”, before being eligible to receive free school meals.
There are also cases where the parent/guardian whose children may be eligible for free school meals is not on Housing Benefit/Council Tax Reduction, i.e. where they are not the householder. This is generally the case where the pupils’ parent/guardian lives in another household.
