30th January 2026Free School Meals
To qualify for Free School Meals you must be in receipt of one of the following:
- Income Support
- Income based Job Seeker’s Allowance
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you are 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 the 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit – with an annual net earned family income of no more than £7,400
Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also receive free school meals.
If you qualify for free school meals, these are some of the benefits:
- A free school locker
- Eligibility to be considered for a rebate or staggered payments for a trip/activity
- Possible help towards the cost of school uniform
- Provision of school equipment and resources including textbooks, calculators etc
If you think you may be eligible please complete the ‘Free School Meal Eligibility & Pupil Premium Application Form’. If in doubt, please ask. The school meal allowance credited to the smartcard daily is £3.60 and the cost of a hot main meal is currently £2.90. If your child would like to spend more than £3.60 a day the excess will have to be paid for by topping up the card (see Smart Card information).
For further information or questions regarding free school meals please contact Andrea Cheeseman, tel: 020 8398 7161 ext. 1042 or acheeseman@hinchleywoodschool.co.uk
