Does your child qualify for Free School Meals?
In light of the recent media focus on Free School Meals and the government’s extension of the FSM provision throughout the summer holidays, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all parents / guardians about how you can simply check your child’s / children’s eligibility for this provision.
In broad terms, if your child is in reception, year 1 or year 2, they will automatically be entitled to universal infant free school meals and you will only need to contact the school to find out how to order meals. If your child is in year 3, or attending primary school, or currently studying at Brooke Weston Academy, you can check eligibility for free school meals by completing an online form on the Northamptonshire County Council website -Children First-Applying for Free School Meals page. You can also access this online using the following link:
You may be entitled to free school meals for your child(ren) if you receive one of the following benefits:
• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
• Child Tax Credit Only (with income up to £16,190) with no element of Working Tax Credit
• National Asylum Seekers Support
• Guarantee Element of the State Pension Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Universal Credit (Income Related)
In order to complete this form successfully, you need one of the following:
• National Insurance number
• National Asylum Seekers Support number
If you are eligible, the NCC will inform us that your child(ren) can have free school meals, and will also register them as pupil premium. Funding allocated to pupil premium allows Brooke Weston Academy to closely monitor and support these students in order to raise achievement.
Once your application has been granted for free school meals or pupil premium you should never need to complete another application. The NCC will check on a regular basis that your child(ren) are still entitled to the meals and pupil premium funding.
Brooke Weston has always taken a very proactive approach in supporting its most vulnerable students and families, and with the support of the Brooke Weston Trust, has been issuing a weekly online digital eVoucher in partnership with Sodexo. This has proven to be extremely popular with parents across the Trust, who are able to choose which supermarket eVoucher they would like (i.e. Morrisons, Tesco, ASDA) and receive their eVoucher via email to use at their convenience.
Click here for Sodexo Parent's Guide Link
Finally, we are acutely aware of how family circumstances are constantly changing and with that in mind, encourage all those parents / guardians who believe they are entitled to Free School Meals & Pupil Premium funding to apply and claim this funding.
If you have any further questions or queries regarding the above, then please do not hesitate in contacting Emily O'Keefe emily.okeefe@brookeweston.org - Assistant Principal, who oversees FSM & PP funding.