Applying for Free School Meals

Is your child eligible for free school meals? 

Free School Meals are linked to the ‘Pupil Premium’ which means the school receives extra funding for eligible children. As a school, we can use this money to help registered families with the cost of music fees, school visits, uniform and any other activities that supports their child’s learning. Please note that this is different to the Universal Infant Free School Meals that is available to all children in Foundation and KS1.

You can apply for Free School Meals if you are in receipt of one of the following:

• Income Support 
• Employment & Support Allowance – Income related only
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (NOT Contribution Based JSA)
• Child Tax Credit only (with a combined family income of less than £16,190 per annum as assessed by HM Revenues & Customs)- (Please note anyone receiving Working Tax Credit, regardless of income, will not qualify for free school meals)
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit
• National Asylum Seekers Support (NASS)
• Guaranteed Element of Pension Tax Credit

How do I apply? 
You can register and find out if your child is eligible by visiting the Capita Free School Meal Application Form here. The system is quick and simple to use and can be accessed via a smartphone or hand held device. If you qualify, please show the Application Summary to a member of our school office team on your smartphone or print a copy and bring that in.
Please register with Capita, even if you have applied and been unsuccessful in the past. By doing so, we will have your contact details and can inform you straight away if your eligibility changes.

Pupil Premium

What is Pupil Premium?
Pupil Premium is allocated to schools for children of statutory school age from low income families in both mainstream and non-mainstream settings who are known to:- 

• be eligible for free school meals (FSM) 
• have been known to be eligible for FSM at any time in the last 6 years (known as Ever 6)
• have been looked after in the care of the Local Authority for more than six months
• have been adopted from care
• have parents currently serving in the armed forces

Pupil Premium funding is allocated to schools according to numbers of pupils meeting the above criteria. The aim of the Government’s Pupil Premium is to raise achievement amongst socially disadvantaged children. It provides additional funding for disadvantaged pupils to ensure that they benefit from the same educational opportunities as pupils from more advantaged backgrounds with the aim of reducing the attainment gap between the highest and lowest achieving pupils nationally. Schools have the freedom to spend the Pupil Premium, which is additional to the underlying schools budget, in a way they think best in supporting the raising of attainment for the most vulnerable pupils. The money is allocated to ensure pupils reach their full potential academically, socially and emotionally, to ensure self-esteem remains high and to ensure children are fully equipped to build upon their learning and therefore achieve successfully as they enter secondary education.

Our Principles

• We ensure teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all of the pupils in our school
• We ensure appropriate provision is made for pupils who belong to vulnerable groups including adequately supporting the needs of socially disadvantaged pupils
• In making provision for socially disadvantaged pupils, we recognise that not all pupils who receive free school meals will be socially disadvantaged. We also recognise that not all pupils who are socially disadvantaged are registered or qualify for free school meals. We reserve the right to allocate the Pupil Premium funding to support any pupil or groups of pupils the school has legitimately identified as being socially disadvantaged and underachieving.
• Pupil Premium funding will be allocated following a needs analysis which will identify priority groups or individuals. Funding, resources and pupil need may mean that not all children receiving free school meals will be in receipt of pupil premium interventions at any one time.
• Much of the support provided through the Pupil Premium will be aimed at accelerating progress and helping children to achieve at least age related expectations in English and Maths.
• Some of the support provided may be aimed at increasing self-esteem, confidence, managing anxieties, supporting opportunities for curriculum enhancement and ensuring all our children experience a wide range of opportunities.  
• Decisions regarding the use of the Pupil Premium funding will be made following research into successful strategies (e.g. Sutton Trust /EEF research, Ofsted publications) and will be at the discretion of the Headteacher and Governing Body of Giles Brook School.

Provision
The range of provision considered may include:

• Small group work focused on overcoming gaps in learning
• Booster sessions
• Setting for maths classes in Upper Key Stage 2
• 1:1 tuition
• Intervention programmes such as Numicon, Better Readers, Rising Stars Comprehension, Number Stacks, Third Space Learning
• Holiday Clubs
• After school 1:1 or small group tuition
• Targeted language support for EAL pupils who are also Pupil Premium
• Support for educational visits and residentials
• Support for music tuition
• Enhancement opportunities for more able pupils - with local schools
• Activities which raise aspirations and opportunity for children and families
• Access to uniform at the beginning of the year
• Reductions for breakfast clubs where early morning provision is deemed necessary to support learning
• Resource materials/Chromebook loans for children to access home learning
• Specific resources to allow children to access the curriculum
• Reading, writing and maths resources
• Access to IT
• Access to homework support

A current annual plan outlining intended support and expenditure is available on our school website under Statutory Information. 
Pupil Premium Reports for previous years are available from the school.

​For further information, please email the school office - [email protected]
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