Free School Meals

Important Information About Free School Meals (FSM): Action Required for 13 July 2026

At Barnhill Community High School, we are dedicated to providing every student with the support they need to thrive academically and personally. As part of our commitment, we would like to draw your attention to recent changes introduced through the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026, which represent the most significant reforms to Free School Meals (FSM) eligibility in recent years. Free school meals: guidance for local authorities, local-authority-maintained schools, academies and free schools - GOV.UK

Government Changes: From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, all children attending school from households in receipt of Universal Credit, regardless of household earnings, will be entitled to receive a free meal. Additionally, if you are in receipt of income related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit or fall under the Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act of 1999, your child will be entitled to Free School Meals. Further information regarding the eligibility requirements can be accessed here: Evidence of eligibility for free school meals (Annex B) - GOV.UK

Ending Transitional Protections: Since 2018, pupils who became eligible for FSM have kept that entitlement even if their household circumstances changed. These protections end on the 31^st August 2026. From September 2026, all households must actively meet the eligibility criteria to receive free meals. Therefore, it is imperative that all parents check the eligibility criteria, as these changes may affect your child's entitlement.

At Barnhill, we are committed to an equitable approach for all our students, supporting them to achieve their very best. We understand that privacy is important which is why our cashless payment system ensures that no one can identify which students receive Free School Meals, therefore actively encouraging our students to utilise their entitlement. All transactions are handled discreetly and confidentially.

Next steps:

1. All parents must use the link below to check their eligibility for Free School Meals, by Monday 13^th July 2026. If parents have more than one child, they must do an individual eligibility checker for each child. https://pps.lgfl.org.uk/
2. The school will check the results via the link and send reminders to any families who have not checked their eligibility
3. The school will liaise with the DfE regarding the funding for your child to help them get set up for September 2026
4. If you have any queries, or would like some support with completing your eligibility checker, please email fsm@Barnhill.School and we will respond to you.

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch.