Dear Parents:
If your child is eligible for a free school meal then there are a number of important reasons why you should make the claim to the school.
Providing a daily free meal – If you qualify for a free school meal then the school will provide a free meal up to a certain value every day. This really is an offer too good to miss! The school canteen, under the guidance of Mrs Power, provides nutritional and healthy food options with a variety of goods available each day.
Cashless Catering – The introduction of a system which allows food to be purchased simply by fingerprint recognition has provided a benefit in two different ways.
a) All pupils are registered on the system and can pay an amount of money into the cash machines at any time. When collecting their meals, they simply have their fingerprint swiped and their account is deducted by the amount of the meal. This has made the queuing system much more effective and reduces time in the queue. No cash changes hands at the kitchen tills.
b) It is suggested that one of the reasons that parents may not receive that which they are entitled to is the perceived stigma attached to obtaining a meal using a free ticket. Using our cashless catering system removes any indication that the meal is provided free as pupils are automatically credited with the cash in their account and they use exactly the same technique as everybody else. There simply is NO reason why free meals shouldn’t be claimed if you are eligible (see below).
Pupil Premium – The government have recently changed the way school are funded and the capitation allowance is heavily influenced by the new Pupil Premium. This is an amount of money (a serious amount!) which is allocated to school based on the financial circumstances of the families which it serves. The indication of whether the pupil premium is to be awarded is based on the number of pupils on free school meals. Therefore, additional funding coming into the school to provide better facilities for teaching and learning is based on how many of our parents who are claiming the free school meal allowance that they are entitled to.
As you can perhaps see, the advantages of claiming free school meals are many and, as well as ensuring that pupils are getting a healthy meal every day, we are also able to provide better facilities, books, computers, classrooms and many other benefits for the pupils. It is to the advantage of every pupil in school that all parents who are eligible to claim for free school meals should do so – even if your child does not take the free meal!!
DO YOU QUALIFY?
Parents do not have to pay for school lunches if they receive any of the following:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
- Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ – the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Children who receive any of the qualifying benefits listed above in their own right are also eligible to receive free school meals.
For further information on the above visit the following links.
www.birmingham.gov.uk/free-school-meals
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_4016089
To download further detailed information and to complete an application form Click here:
Free_School_Meals_Application_Form_and_Information
If you have any further questions please contact Ms Tracy at school on 0121 360 6383.
