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 pupils establish healthy habits for life. Healthy school food can also help to improve pupils’ 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, before benefits are taken into account.
• 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 additional pupil premium funding for our 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.

To check if your child is eligible, please complete one of the application forms below.

Pupil premium FAQs

What is pupil premium funding?

Pupil premium is additional funding for schools for pupils who:

• Are registered for free school meals (FSM)
• Have been registered for FSM at any point in the past 6 years
• Are, or have been, in care
• Have parents in the armed forces

How much pupil premium funding does the school receive?

At The Crescent Primary School we get an extra £1,480 in 2024/25 and £1,515 in 2025/26, for every eligible pupil who is registered for free school meals. This extra money makes a real difference to the quality of education we can offer.

Free school meals (FSM) FAQs

How does it work in practice?

Children eligible for FSM are able to book their lunches using the booking system in advance free of charge.

Will the fact my child is registered for FSM be made public?

We keep this information as confidential as possible. We do not publish identifying details of children registered for FSM.

My household has no recourse to public funds (NRPF). Is my child eligible for FSM?

Children of households with NRPF may be eligible, this includes:

• Zambrano and Chen carers (non-EEA nationals caring for a British citizen residing in the UK)
• British National (Overseas) passport holders
• Spousal visa, work visa, or student visa holders
• Those with no immigration status
• Families with a right to remain in the UK under Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights
• Families receiving support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 who are subject to a no recourse to public funds restriction
• Certain failed asylum seekers supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

The maximum income thresholds for families with NRPF who can work are:

• £22,700 for families outside London with 1 child
• £26,300 for families outside London with 2 or more children

Families with NRPF must also have no more than £16,000 in capital and savings to be eligible for FSM.

NRPF: How to register for free school meals

The process for registering for free school meals is different as we have to check your eligibility in a different way.

Please use the Application form for free school meals from families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and return it with your supporting evidence to the school office.

My child already has free school meals: are they still eligible?

If your child was eligible for free school meals on 1 April 2018 or since then, they will continue to be eligible until the end of the 2025/26 school year, even if your household no longer meets the income eligibility threshold.

However, from September 2026, the eligibility criteria will be changing. Your child will be eligible for FSM if you receive Universal Credit, regardless of your annual household income. However, if you do not meet one of the income eligibility criteria, your child will not be eligible.

If your child has already been registered for free school meals, you do not need to apply again this year.