The school receives extra funding, known as the Pupil Premium; to support students who are eligible for Free School Meals. Click here to see our Pupil premium report to see how the money has been spent.
It is estimated that around 20% of students that are entitled to Free School Meals do not take them. There may be many different reasons for this, but it is thought a large proportion of those could be down to a supposed stigma. Here at Patcham High School the dinner money is put on the students squid every day, so there is no way other students would be aware.
Your child might be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re 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 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit – if you apply on or after the 1st April 2018 your household income must be less than £7400 per year
Children, who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, may also get free school meals.
Working Tax Credit
If you are in receipt of any Working Tax Credit you will not be eligible to apply for Free School Meals
Unsure if you are eligible for free school meals?
| IF I GET? | DO WE GET FREE MEALS? |
|---|---|
| Child Tax Credit Household income above £16,190) |
No |
| Child Tax Credit Household income below £16,190) |
Yes |
Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit |
No |
| Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit on a four week run on | Yes |
| Working Tax Credit Household income below £16,190) |
No |
| No Tax Credits but oncome is below £16,190 | No – you need to be getting one of the benefits listed above |
The Brighton and Hove FSM Team can undertake an online check for you in complete confidence – you will need to tell us your National Insurance Number or your National Asylum Seeker Number (NASS), your date of birth and your surname (as it appears on your benefit letter). You can email them on freeschoolmeals@brighton-hove.gov.uk or call them on (01273) 293497.
Alternatively you can check for yourself via https://pps.lgfl.org.uk/. Follow the link to ‘check eligibility’. Click on the blue ‘proceed’ button, select ‘Brighton and Hove’ and ‘Patcham High School’. If you agree to their privacy notice, you can enter your surname, National Insurance number and Date of Birth and you will receive an instant notification if you are eligible or not. If you are eligible you should then complete the Brighton and Hove application here https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/children-and-education/schools/free-school-meals . As soon as this is processed we will arrange for the FSM payments to go onto your child’s account daily to enable them to purchase food in the canteen.
If you have any further questions or you would like any support with a FSM application, please contact Jayne Newman on jnewman@patchamhigh.org.uk or on (01273) 503908.