School Meals

School Dinner Menu (4 November 2024 – 4 April 2025)

Christmas Dinner – Wednesday 18th December 2024

Universal Infant Free School Meals & Free School Meals

If your child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 (under the government’s Universal Infant Free School Meals (UISFM) Scheme) they are entitled to a healthy meal paid for by the Local Authority.

From Year 3 to Year 6 you will need to pay for your child’s meals unless they are entitled to Free School Meals. If your child is entitled to Free School Meals please ensure you apply for these in advance via Lewisham Local Authority. You can do this via Laurence House in Catford or online. Please inform the school office that you have applied for Free School Meals.

APPLY FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS

HOW AND WHO SHOULD APPLY FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS

HOW AND WHO SHOULD APPLY FOR PUPIL PREMIUM

PAY FOR SCHOOL MEALS

FREE SCHOOL MEALS ELIGIBILITY CHECKER

Free School Meals & Pupil Premium Explained

Children from Reception to Year 6 are entitled to a Universal Free Meal (often referred to as UFSM).

If you are in receipt of certain benefits you may be entitled to Free School Meals (FSM). Confusing hey! The difference is that if you are entitled to FSM there are other means of support that you can tap into. Once you are in receipt of benefits related Free School Meals your child’s school will receive additional funding (Pupil Premium) to help and support you through your child’s education. The school will also receive extra support to deliver a fully inclusive and accessible education for all of our pupils.

You can apply for Free School Meals at any time while your child is at Perrymount School. For example; If you apply and are entitled to Free School Meals in Reception class the funding is there to support you for your child’s entire time at Perrymount. If you become eligible in year 5 then the Pupil Premium funding goes with you to secondary school.

Don’t all primary children get free school meals anyway? 

All primary school children within London Boroughs currently get free school meals funded by Lewisham and the Mayor of London. However, we still need you to apply for free school meals so that you can receive additional awards (e.g. HAF programme – free activities during school holidays) and the school gets extra money. This includes something called Pupil Premium, which means that schools receive £1,480 per year for every primary child who has a free school meal award. Pupil Premium funding can be used to pay for things like books, equipment, extra teaching staff and school trips. 

Is my child eligible? Do you receive any of the following?

• 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 guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit – if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

If you are eligible for benefits-related free school meals in accordance with the above criteria, and your child is also receiving Universal Infant Free School Meals, please still apply. This will enable your child’s school to claim valuable ‘pupil premium’ funding and you could also receive free school meal awards.

If either parent works within the armed forces or if a child is looked after from care they may also be eligible for benefits. Documentation will need to be provided in these instances.

What does a free school meal award mean?

A free school meal award means your child can get:

• Healthy hot meals every school day 
• Access to free holiday clubs and meals during the school holidays (Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme)
• £15 per week food voucher per child during the school holidays (funding to be confirmed for academic year 2024-25)

Will everyone know my child gets free school meals? 

Schools are there to help you as a family and will not identify your child to others if you claim free meals for them – your child would not be treated any differently to any other child in school.  

How can I check for myself if my child can get free school meals?

If you wish to check your own entitlement for free school meals at any time you can use the Free School Meal Eligibility Checker. Or if you would prefer, come in and see us. All we need is your full name, date of birth and National Insurance number.