School Meals

School Meals

Our school meals are provided by ISS Education.

Universal Infant Free School Meals

All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 get a healthy nutritious lunch at no cost to parents regardless of income.

Key stage 2 Free School Meals

For the school year starting September 2023, the Mayor of London’s office is providing one-off funding to primary schools in London, to allow all children at Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6) to have school meals at no cost to parents regardless of income. Please see below for a letter from the Mayor of London.

Mayor of London letter (UFSM) – London Borough of Ealing

Additional entitlement for families receiving tax credits or benefits

Applications should still be made for pupils who may be eligible for additional support both at school via pupil premium funding  and during school holidays from the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme .

Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme

Children and young people who are in school years Reception to Year 6 and are in receipt of benefits related to additional support are also eligible for the HAF Programme funded by the Department for Education (DfE). This programme offers free holiday activities and a nutritious meal during the Easter, Summer and Christmas school holidays across Ealing.

The HAF offer is for up to four hours per day, four days per week for a maximum of one week each at Easter and Christmas and four weeks in the summer.

Ahead of the school holidays, families of children attending primary and secondary schools who are entitled to this support will be issued a code by the school. 

Please click here for more information

Pupil Premium

The pupil premium grant is funding to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools in England.  The current funding rate for pupil premium is £1455. This means that if 100 children are eligible for pupil premium the school receives and extra £145,500 in funding. Schools decide how best to allocate the funds, and should focus on benefitting the children who are eligible for Pupil Premium.

Pupil Premium funding can’t be paid directly to parents or carers, but can be used by schools to give further support to their eligible pupils.

Eligibility criteria

In accordance with the Social Security Act 1986, a pupil or parents must be in receipt of one or more of the following support payments to be eligible for additional support:

  • Income Support (IS)
  • Jobseekers Allowance Income based (JSAIB)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (IRESA)
  • Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual household income, as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs that does not exceed £16,190
  • Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit
  • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Universal Credit, household annual net earned income must not exceed £7,400 as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs

Parents who receive Job Seekers Allowance or Employment and Support allowance, which is contribution based, Working tax credit or other benefits are not eligible for additional support.

Parents will receive a letter confirming their child’s entitlement and the school will be notified directly by Ealing council.

Eligibility will be reviewed annually and notification will be sent to parents automatically.

We want to ensure that our families receive the support that they are entitled to. If you think you meet the eligibilty criteria outlined above,  click here to start an application.

Change of Circumstances

Parents should notify the council of any changes of circumstances:

  • Start work and come off benefits or change benefits
  • Change of address
  • Your child changes school.

Appeals

Parents may appeal against the decision not to additional support. The appeal must be made in writing with supporting evidence if appropriate.

No recourse to public funds

In addition, during COVID-19, the government has temporarily extended the free school meal eligibility to include some children of groups who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF).

Apply for financial assistance with school meals if you have no recourse to public funds.

 

Packed Lunches

If you would prefer for your child to bring a packed lunch from home,  it is important that packed lunches provide as healthy and balanced lunch as what they would eat at home.  This means plenty of foods that contain the nutrients that children need and fewer foods high in sugar and saturated fat.

Translate »