Free School Meals

All children at Stanford Infant School are entitled to a free school meal thanks to a different government funding scheme known as Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM). This should not be confused with the free school meals and the pupil premium.

Are you eligible for Free School Meals?

We may be able to access extra funding if you are in receipt of 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 a parent/carer of a child who was previously in care (as a ‘Looked After Child’), please do tell us. That is, if your child has been ‘in care’ and you are their parent through adoption, or care for them under a Special Guardianship, Child Arrangement or Residence Order, it would be helpful for us to know. We can support your child better with this knowledge and can work with you to ensure we have in place what your child/young person needs to support them in their education. We do this by developing Personal Education Plans for children previously in care, providing Key Adults through a Team around the Child, Just Right Plans, time- in/calming strategies, additional academic support, etc.

Additionally, we may be able to claim the Pupil Premium Plus Grant (PP+). This is a sum of money which can be used for staff training, supporting our staff in working on specialised areas, such as sensory integration. It can also be used for purchasing additional resources, for example, calm boxes, or other areas which we hope to have arrived at through discussion with parents/carers such as access to our Learning Mentor or School Counsellor, Individual Sensory Regulation Plans, or access to quiet, safe spaces.

What is Pupil Premium Funding?

Pupil Premium Funding from the government is given to schools to help pupils reach their full potential, regardless of their background or financial situation. It’s provided for pupils who:

Are registered for free school meals
Have been registered for free school meals at any point in the past 6 years
Are, or have been, in care
Have parents in the armed forces