Information for schools

Your school could be missing out on funding to help the most disadvantaged pupils. Encourage parents to register their child as eligible for free school meals (FSM) before the January census to ensure you receive your maximum Pupil Premium allocation next year.

Schools now receive additional funding, the Pupil Premium, for each pupil on their roll registered as eligible for FSM. This is £600 per pupil for 2012-13. The full amount a school will receive in 2013-14 is dependent on how many FSM pupils they have on their roll on 17 January 2013 - census day.

To ensure your school doesn’t miss out on additional funding to which you are entitled, you should encourage parents to register their child as eligible for FSM in time for the school census. The local authority will be able to tell you the last date applications can be submitted in time for them to confirm eligibility with you before census day.

There are good practices schools can implement to registration. In particular, schools should consider letting parents know:

  • That registering their child as eligible for FSM will bring more money to the school to help their child achieve.
  • What the school will spend the Pupil Premium on, so they are incentivised to apply.
  • What, if any, other benefits may be available for children registered as eligible for FSM, i.e. help with the cost of music lessons or school trips.
  • That registering for FSM is confidential and their peers, and their child’s peers, will not know they have applied.
  • What registering for FSM involves and what it means for their child, including the fact that taking up the meal is recommended but optional.

This is in addition to any information the school may be able to provide about the benefits and quality of school meals.

You can download an example letter to parents, based on good practice examples from schools. This letter can be personalised and sent out to parents to encourage registration.