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Warwickshire Free School Meals:

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Universal Infant Free School Meals in England

If your child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2, they will automatically be entitled to Universal Infant Free School meals -  you do not have to apply for these. However, if you do meet the benefits-related free school meals eligibility criteria, then it is advised you apply as you may receive the additional benefits described below.

Targeted and Expended Free School Meals in England

Starting September 2026, the Government is widening Free School Meals access. Students from households on Universal Credit will now be entitled to free school meals once their eligibility is verified. Going forward, benefits-related Free School Meals will be split into two distinct categories:

Targeted Free School Meals: This applies to families on Universal Credit with annual household net earnings of £7,400 or less (alongside other standard qualifying benefits). This specific group remains connected to Pupil Premium funding and additional targeted school support.

Expanded Free School Meals: This is a new category that covers pupils who do not qualify for Targeted FSM, but whose households receive Universal Credit.

What Benefits Are There?

Households in both categories will benefit from the financial savings of getting free school meals.

Households who fall into the targeted category will get access to additional benefits:

1)  Holiday and Activities and Food (HAF) Programme: HAF is for children aged 4 to 16 in reception to year 11 in receipt of benefits-related free school meals in the targeted category. HAF offers eligible pupils access to activities and at least one healthy meal is provided during each session. The activities take place during the Easter, summer, and Christmas school holidays

2) Pupil Premium Funding: Pupil Premium Funding is extra funding paid directly to schools for each pupil who is eligible for free school meals in the Targeted category. It can help to fund valuable teaching and learning support to improve pupil’s education.

3) A free school jumper

4) Subsidised school trips, extra-curricular activities and breakfast clubs, in line with our school's policy

What is Pupil Premium Funding?

Pupil Premium is additional funding provided by the Government to help schools improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and ensure that all children have the opportunity to reach their full potential. The funding helps schools provide additional support, resources and opportunities to remove barriers to learning and promote achievement.

Schools receive Pupil Premium funding based on the number of eligible pupils recorded in the school census. This includes pupils who are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), or who have been eligible at any point during the previous six years (known as Ever 6 FSM).

Additional Pupil Premium funding is also available for children who are looked after by a local authority and for children who were previously looked after. 

Separate funding, known as the Service Pupil Premium, is available to support eligible children from service families whose parents serve in the regular armed forces.

At Chilvers, we are committed to using Pupil Premium funding to support pupils' learning, development and wellbeing, helping them overcome barriers and access opportunities to thrive both academically and personally.

How to apply or check your status:

All applications must be submitted online via the secure portal. You can access the automated online form here
 

Who Should Apply?

We strongly advise any family who believes they might qualify, including all households receiving Universal Credit, to submit an application. The automated system will automatically determine whether your child qualifies for the Targeted or Expanded category.

Your child might be eligible for Targeted Free School Meals and Pupil Premium if your family receives one of the following:

- Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less

- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

- The Guarantee Element of Pension Credit

- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

- No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), subject to the relevant income and eligibility criteria

Why You Should Apply (Even for Packed Lunches)

Even if your child prefers to bring a packed lunch, we strongly encourage you to apply for Free School Meals if you are eligible. Registering helps Chilvers access vital additional Pupil Premium funding, which supports pupils’ learning, development and wellbeing. This funding helps us provide additional resources and opportunities to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, while also supporting wider school initiatives that can benefit all children.

How the Process Works:

The system will automatically re-verify your status for up to 42 days after your initial application.If your household circumstances change during these six weeks, both you and the school will be instantly notified, and we will update our records accordingly. Once you have applied for free school meals, if your child is eligible, they will remain eligible for that whole school year, regardless of any changes to your circumstances.

Questions?

If you have any questions or require assistance with your application, please contact the school office and a member of the Care and Connect Team will be happy to help you.  

For alternative support applying for Free School Meals, please contact the Family Information Service by emailing freemeals@warwickshire.gov.uk or calling 0800 408 1558 (freephone).

Our Pupil Premium Strategy Expenditure:

It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their settings. Some of the ways we use our funding is: to subsidise after-school clubs and school trips.

Further details of the funding we receive, and how we use it, can be found below.​​​​