Are you claiming your entitlement?
According to current research it is estimated that over 200,000 pupils entitled to Free School Meals are not doing so in Lincolnshire! School meals offer a nutritionally balanced meal during the school day to ensure your child is ready and able to engage fully in their learning and we would encourage you to apply for this entitlement.
Who is entitled? You are entitled to free school meals for your children if you receive:
- 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 Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to
- Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue and Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
- Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ – the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
More information about benefits/tax credits schemes is available on the gov.uk website, there are Eligibility criteria, calculators and online application forms available. All the information about benefits available to parents/carers can be found on the following link https://www.gov.uk/browse/childcare-parenting/financial-help-children
Making the claim not only benefits your child in providing a healthy meal but also releases additional funds to the school to ensure they meet their full academic potential through a range of interventions that the school has put in place. Current initiatives include:-
Cashless catering– An amount of £2.40 is added daily after break time for eligible students, this covers the cost of a hot main meal and pudding, it does not cover the cost of drinks and water is available free of charge from drinking fountains and jugs in the dining room.
Trip subsidies – for all curriculum based off site events to ensure they can participate fully in all learning opportunities.
Easter revision classes – to ensure your child is prepared for their final examinations by accessing additional sessions based on examination technique and content linked to a wide range of courses.
1:1 Tuition in Maths and English – to bridge any barriers to making progress in these key areas of the curriculum.
Learning Mentor – provided to support pupils who are struggling to make progress or who are having difficulties at home or school.
For a full list of the interventions the school is providing please click here. (*This intervention is accessible by all students.)
CHANGES FROM SEPTEMBER 2018
Lincolnshire County Council has recently announced that there is a new process for Free School Meals which went ‘live’ for parents to use from 4th September 2018.
Please register and apply via the Portal: https://lcc.cloud.servelec-synergy.com/parentportal/
The Parent Portal allows parents or carers to apply for a school place and apply for free school meals via an online interface. This online interface allows a user to create an account, add their children to the account, and either apply for a school place or free school meals. Once an application has been created and submitted it is available for the Local Authority to view.
To begin using the Parent Portal, create an account using the ‘Create Account’ link which can be found on the upper left side of this page. To return after creating an account, use the ‘Login’ link which can also be found on the upper left side of this page.
Using a tablet/smartphone?
Access the menu items including the ‘Create Account’ and ‘Login’ links using the menu in the top right hand corner.