Free School Meals
Changes for the 2026 to 2027 academic year
Ending “protected Free School Meals” category
Since 1st April 2018. Pupils eligible for free meals under previous benefits-based criteria retained their entitlement, even if their household circumstances changed, for the remaining time the pupil was in Primary School.
Transitional protections end at the end of 2025/26 academic year. From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, transitional protections for free school meals will end. Households must meet the new FSM eligibility criteria from the start of the 2026/27 academic year to continue receiving provision. Any child currently in receipt of FSM will automatically have their eligibility re-checked and the school will be notified the results of this check (between June and September 26)
Checking eligibility for the 2026 to 2027 academic year
From 1 September 2026, all children in households receiving Universal Credit will receive free school meals (FSM). There will be two categories:
- Targeted FSM, which continues to be based on the existing threshold, covering pupils who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less
- Expanded FSM, a new category covering pupils who do not qualify for targeted FSM, but who are in households receiving Universal Credit
We ask for your consent to complete a Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility check for your child. Even if you believe you may not qualify, we encourage parents to provide details to check eligibility as this could help the school access valuable additional funding.
Completing the FSM check helps us identify whether your child qualifies for Free School Meals and enables the school to receive Pupil Premium funding (for Targeted FSM), which supports learning, wellbeing and enrichment activities. Expanded FSM provides funding for Free School Meals only.
We use the extra money from Pupil Premium funding to improve the educational provision and resources at the school. Pupil premium funding from the government is given to schools to help pupils reach their full potential, regardless of their background or financial situation.
Does my child have to eat the free school meals?
No. Pupils who are registered for free school meals don’t have to eat them. If you’re eligible but you want your child to have packed lunches you should still register because the school will may receive the funding which can support your child in other ways (Targeted FSM) only.
How do I register? You only need to apply once with Meadow Park. We use a system which re-checks applicants every year.
To do this, complete the online form: Free School Meal Application – Fill in form
We use the information to complete an online form assessed by Reading Borough Council who return the outcome via email to you and us. It is secure, private and results are confidential. If you need help completing the online form, please visit our school office.
You can apply directly yourself, but this may result in a duplicate application if you have already applied in the past. https://apply.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims
More information.
For more information about pupil premium can be found on our website, which contains details of how the pupil premium has been spent in the past academic year and how it will be spent this year. If you have any questions or specific concerns, please contact the school office.
Please contact the School Office for any further guidance.