School Dinners
Lancashire County Council catering services provide school meals.
All menus are planned to comply with School Food Standards and all new dishes are tested by children. The meat is Red Tractor Farm Assured, the fish is MSC certified and the eggs are free-range Lion brand. LCS use a number of organic products throughout our menus. There is always fresh fruit and salad, bread and locally produced yoghurt available daily.
To make the most of seasonal produce they change our menus a minimum of twice a year.
Please click on the link to view menus and to learn more about the catering service
https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/catering-old/school-catering/
Free School Meals
If your child is already receiving free school meals due to your eligibly to a qualifying benefit, there is no need to apply again. Your child will already be included on the school list.
Your child will be able to get ‘universal’ free school meals if they’re in reception class, year 1 or year 2.
However, if you get any of the qualifying benefits your child’s school can get extra funding, called pupil premium – please read below for full details.
Could your child be entitled to free school meals (FSM)?
In our school if your child is entitled to FSM then we receive additional funding which we use in the following ways: –
- Providing additional academic support for FSM children who need to boost progress or be challenged further
- Providing financial support towards additional costs of education such as trips
- Providing financial support to allow every FSM child one free (normally paid for) extra-curricular activity after school per week for the whole year.
- Providing financial support towards uniform and equipment
- Additional Educational needs resources
The following information will help you establish whether you qualify.
Who can get free school meals?
All pupils in reception, year one or year two in primary schools are entitled to ‘universal’ free school meals. This is not the same as ‘Free School Meals’ (FSM). Pupils that are eligible for free school meals receive additional funding called ‘Pupil Premium.’ In our school if your child is entitled to Free School meals, you get financial support with other aspects of school life not just the free school meal. (See the list at the top of the letter.) If you apply and are eligible even if at some point your circumstances change and you are no longer eligible for the actual free school meal – you will receive the Pupil Premium funding for six years. Which means all the additional support listed at the top of this letter will continue for the next 6 years. (Or, whilst your child is at our school).
You may be eligible for free school meals if you are currently in receipt of:
- Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than
£7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment
periods)
- 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 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 four weeks after you stop qualifying for
- Working Tax Credit
Who can register for pupil premium?
If you receive one of the above benefits that entitle your child to free school meals, the school can benefit from additional funding, called pupil premium.
The pupil premium gives schools extra funding to raise the achievement of some pupils. This is measured by the number of children eligible for free school meals based on the above qualifying benefits. It is worth over £1000 per pupil for the school your child attends.
How to claim
In reception, year one or year two
As your child is starting in reception, they will receive the universal free school meals which you don’t have to apply for. However, if you think you are eligible for ‘Free School Meals’ then it is important that you inform us – so that you don’t miss out on the Pupil Premium funding for your child.
Your child’s ‘Universal’ free school meals will stop at the end of year two, unless you receive the above qualifying benefits and you have already registered your child with us.
Click the link to apply on line –
https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/children-education-families/schools/free-school-meals/?page=3
Or click here to print the form to apply by post
https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/media/907890/free-school-meals-revised-june-2019.pdf
What happens next
Contact your school if you have any questions.
Once your application has been granted for free school meals or pupil premium you never need to complete another application. LCC will check on a regular basis that your children are still entitled to the meals and will let you know if you are no longer eligible. You should still contact the area office if you are no longer getting any benefits.
If you think that you are eligible for a Free School Meal or you are not sure and would like to check, please provide the following information for School to send to the FSM Team at Lancashire County Council:
- Parent/carer’s NI or Asylum Seeker’s number
- Parent/carer’s date of birth – dd/mm/yyyy
- Parent/carer’s relevant surname