Free School Meals
Lunches for all infant aged pupils are free under the Universal Free School Lunch scheme, however some of our families are also entitled to a benefit called Free School Meals (FSM).
Children who are entitled to Targeted Free School Meals (or who have been entitled to this previously in the past six years) are eligible for Pupil Premium funding. This is used by the school to fund valuable support like extra tuition, additional teaching staff or after-school activities. Please click here to see our Pupil Premium page for further information on how the school spends the pupil premium funding it receives.
Eligible children may also qualify for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme run by Barnet Council over the main school holidays (BACE Holidays). In the past, families have also benefited from receiving supermarket vouchers during holidays, although this has now ceased for Barnet families.
We strongly recommend that all parents complete the check, even if they don't believe they are currently eligible, as once you are on the system, we are able to recheck details throughout the children's time in our school.
criteria - are you eligible?
From September 2026, FSM eligibility is divided into two main types:
Targeted FSM: For pupils meeting the existing income-based criteria, including household income thresholds.
Your child may be eligible for the free school meal benefit if they live with you and if you receive any of the following:
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- 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)
Children who receive these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.
If you do not qualify for most benefits (also known as having “no recourse to public funds”) your child may still be eligible. If this applies to you, please contact the school office or see guidance for families with no recourse to public funds for more information.
Extended FSM: For pupils from households receiving Universal Credit, regardless of income level or the amount received.
HOW TO CHECK IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE
During the induction program, parents are asked to complete details on the “Starting School” google form which is sent to all parents during the induction process. This provides us with the required information (parent names and national insurance number(s) / NASS number) for the school to complete the check on your behalf.
Once the check is completed (close to the time that they start in our school) we will then let you know of the outcome.
If preferred, parents are also able to do this check themselves by going online to Home | LGfL FSM where you will find further information and then be able to carry out the check, which only takes a few minutes. Once checked, the school will then be able to see your status and will be notified if you are eligible.
In either case if your child is shown as eligible, they will be re-checked by the school annually as per the DfE guidance (if you no longer meet the criteria, the provision will finish at the end of the academic year – but the school may continue to receive additional funding for a further 6 years)
Those who are not eligible will be re-checked more regularly by the school, and we will notify you if you become eligible in the future.
Parents can opt out of the check, by ticking the relevant box on the form however, we strongly urge all parents to register for the check, even if you don’t think you are eligible - the school carries out monthly rechecks, as circumstances can change (often at short notice) and the recheck will ensure you get your entitlement as early as possible.
