We want to make sure that we are providing your child with the best education and support we can. Healthy school food has obvious health benefits and can help students establish healthy habits for life. Healthy school food can also help to improve students' readiness to learn.

Families who receive certain benefits may be eligible for free school meals. Your child is eligible for free school meals if you’re in receipt of one of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400.
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guarantee element of Pension Credit
• Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
• Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) with an annual income of no more than £16,190

Registering for free meals could also raise an extra £935 for your child’s secondary school, to fund valuable support like extra tuition, additional teaching staff or after school activities. This additional money is available from central government for every child whose parent is receiving one of the benefits listed above.

Apply for Free School Meals

The quickest process for receiving free school meals is to visit the Sheffield City Council website:

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/schools-childcare/school-meals  and fill in the online application there.

However, if you are unable to do this, or prefer to fill in a paper copy, you can complete the form at the foot of this page and return it to school. We will then send it to Sheffield City Council on your behalf (please note that this is a longer process and may take some weeks).

Changes to free school meal eligibility under Universal Credit

The eligibility criteria for free school meals has changed (the new eligibility criteria is set out above) but if you are currently claiming free school meals, please read the following:

Most people won’t be affected by the new criteria. If you’re currently claiming free school meals, but don’t meet the new criteria, your child will continue to receive free school meals until the end of the Universal Credit rollout period. This will apply even if your earnings rise above the new threshold or if you stop being entitled to Universal Credit. The rollout period is currently scheduled to end in March 2022. Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, your child will keep their free school meal until the end of their current phase of education, i.e. primary or secondary. (Department for Education Free School Meals Guidance, April 2018)

FSM at Meadowhead

Students who are eligible for Free school meals (FSM) have an amount of £2.24 added to their accounts every morning, this will allows them buy a standard “meal deal” every day.   (correct as of Sept 2022)