The Government provides schools with additional funding to help children from lower income families do their very best. This funding is called a 'Pupil Premium'. For every child registered for Free School Meals (FSM) St Christopher's CE High School receives additional funding per pupil and your child receives a daily Free School Meal Allowance currently £2.35 per day.
How does your child access this Free School Meal?
Once registered, the school receives information from the Education Office that your child is eligible for a Free School Meal. In school, we operate a dinner card system and every child is issued with a card and money is put onto this by various methods for example by:
School on behalf of pupils eligible for a Free School Meal;
- parents using Parent Pay (an automatic direct payment system details available from school;
- pupils bringing money into school and using one of the machines around school; or
- pupils taking cheques to pupil reception who will process this for them.
The Free School Meal allowance, currently £2.35, is automatically put on to the pupil's card daily. There is no fuss and this is not referred to at any point during a school meal transaction. When using the card, other pupils and staff are completely unaware of how funds are transferred on to a dinner card and by what means, therefore the system is completely anonymous.
Please register as soon as possible to make sure that you and your family benefit from this, you could make savings in your household budget and the school wins out as well!
To register: contact your local Education Office based at The Globe Centre; Accrington; BB5 0FQ Telephone: (01254) 220711. If you provide them with your name, date of birth and National Insurance number they can immediately check your entitlement via the DFE Electronic free school meals checking service.
Alternatively, you can complete an application form available from your local Area Education Office, or from the Lancashire County Council website. The completed application form should be sent to your local Area Education Office.
R Berry
Business Manager