Did you know for every child registered as entitled to Free School Meals, our school will get extra money from the Government? Claim now to make sure we don’t miss out!
The Government is giving money to schools to help children from lower income families do their very best. This funding is called a ‘Pupil Premium’. For every child registered, Moortown Primary School gets £488 this year. With this money we could, for example…
- give extra tuition after school for certain pupils
- help fund the purchase of extra sports equipment
- support parents at difficult times.
If you are registered for Free School Meals you could also get help with the cost of school trips or music tuition. Please get a claim in before Christmas to make sure your child and others in their class don’t miss out.
How do I claim?
- Check if you’re entitled – you don’t have to be unemployed to qualify. Students and people working less than 16 hours a week can also get Free School Meals. Take a look through the list below.
- You may not need to fill in a full claim form. Everyone in Leeds already getting help with their rent or Council Tax will automatically be considered for Free School Meals. If you’re already getting help and think you might qualify for Free School Meals but haven’t heard, simply ring the Benefits Helpline on 0113 222 4404 and they’ll tell you what you need to do.
- If you haven’t claimed in Leeds before, phone the Benefits Helpline for an application form. Alternatively call in and get one from any Council One Stop Centre. One Stop Centre staff can also help you fill the form in.
- The claim form can also be downloaded from www.direct.gov.uk.
What are the benefits?
- Your child can have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime, saving you more than £350 a year in dinner money or saving you the hassle of preparing a packed lunch everyday.
- Once you’ve been told you qualify for Free School Meals, the Council will also consider you for a School Clothing Grant of up to £37.50 per child, even if you don’t want your child to take the meals.
- Getting Free School Meals will not affect any other benefits you are receiving and you can claim in confidence.
- Most importantly, the school gets an extra £488 to spend for every child that has a Free School Meal award in place, regardless of whether they take it up.
We understand the reasons why some parents may not like to claim. Often people see claiming their entitlement to Free School Meals as “charity” and would prefer to provide sandwiches etc. However, we can only claim the ‘Pupil Premium’ on behalf of pupils who have a Free School Meal award in place.
Please contact Paula O’Malley or Nicky Russell in our School Office or Julie Wilson, our Learning Support Mentor, if you’d like to discuss Free School Meals.
Do I qualify?
- Your child will qualify for Free School Meals if you get any of these benefits:
- 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 you 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
