Free School Meals & Pupil Premium: 2026 System Updates

The Department for Education is introducing major updates to how Free School Meals (FSM) and Pupil Premium funding are structured, starting from September 2026.

Under the new national guidelines, all families who are in receipt of Universal Credit are eligible to apply for Free School Meals for their children, regardless of their household earnings.

Depending on your overall household income, support is broken down into two tiers:

1. Expanded Free School Meals: Available to all households receiving Universal Credit. This guarantees your child a free, healthy school lunch every single day.
2. Targeted Free School Meals & Pupil Premium: If your household receives Universal Credit and your net annual household earnings are £7,400 or less (after tax and not including benefits), your child will receive free school meals and register for Pupil Premium. This unlocks extra direct funding for the school to provide uniform grants, academic resources, and subsidies for curriculum school trips.

Why You Should Apply

Even if you believe your income sits above the £7,400 threshold, if you access Universal Credit in any capacity, your child is legally entitled to daily free school meals. We strongly encourage all eligible parents to register so your child can access this support immediately in the new academic year.

How to Apply

We have streamlined the application process to make it as quick and simple as possible for our families. There is no paperwork to print or mail.

Please click the secure link below to complete our brief, confidential 2-minute application form. Our administrative team will securely process the check against the national database on your behalf to confirm which tier of support your family qualifies for, and we will contact you directly with the outcome.

Click Here to Complete the Free School Meals Application Form

(Please note: All data submitted via this form is handled in strict accordance with GDPR and our school data protection policy. If your child is already successfully registered and verified under the new criteria, no further action is required.)

 

In addition, schools receive Service Pupil Premium (SPP) funding under the following criteria:

• One parent is a serving member of the armed forces (regular or full time reserve service)
• The student has been registered as a ‘service child’ on a school census since 2016
• A pension is received under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or the War Pensions Scheme.

Please ensure the school are aware if you fall under any of the SPP categories.

Further information regarding Pupil Premium and Service Pupil Premium funding can be found in the links below.