Free School Meals

All pupils in Key Stage 1 are entitled to free school meals as part of a government initiative.  At Montrose we hope you will encourage your child to have school dinners as they offer a nutritious and balanced meal.  Many parents find that their children develop new tastes from watching their peers eat and enjoy foods that they might not have considered before.

Have you ever considered that your child might be eligible for Free School Meals?  Leicester City Council administers and authorises free school meals for eligible pupils in all city schools.

Who is eligible for Free School Meals?

Pupils can have free school meals if their parent(s), guardian(s) or carer(s) are in receipt of:

• Income Support (IS), or

• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance (IBJSA), or

• National Asylum Seeker Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, or

• Child Tax Credits, with a gross income that DOES NOT exceed £16,190 (Please note that if you receive Working Tax Credit you will not be entitled to free school meals), or

• A Guarantee element of State Pension Credit

How to Apply for Free School Meals

If any of the above applies to you or you think your child has a right to Free School Meals on other grounds, you should apply for Free School Meals by one of the following methods

• Apply online - Complete an application using the online form on the Leicester City Council website.

• By telephone - Call 0116 454 1009 (option 3).  Make sure you have your National Insurance number to hand.

• By post- download and print the paper application form, Free School Meals application form, and post it to:

Free School Meals Service

Leicester City Council

4th Floor York House

91 Granby Street

Leicester

LE1 6FB

Alternatively, you can pick up an application form and hand the completed application form to Customer Services, Ground Floor, 91 Granby Street, or to any of the Leicester City Council Customer Services centres at New Parks, Saffron or Charnwood.

You do not need to renew your application each year.  Once the Leicester City Council issue a free school meal voucher, it remains valid until your child leaves school, unless your circumstances change and you no longer meet the qualifying criteria.

If you have any queries relating to free school meals, please telephone 0116 454 1009, or e-mail education.fsm@leicester.gov.uk.

There is additional information available on the Leicester City Council website www.leicester.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals.

Don't forget to inform the school if your request for Free School Meals is approved - even if you subsequently choose to send your child to school with a packed lunch.