Free school meals and other forms of support for your child

Means tested free school meals

Means tested free school meals are available to all pupils attending Bromley maintained schools and academies whose families meet the benefits related eligibility criteria.

Schools and academies can access additional pupil premium funding for pupils assessed as eligible for means tested free school meals.

The current Government guidance advises that, if your child has been assessed as eligible for means tested free school meals at any time since April 2018, you do not need to submit a new application until your child finishes their current phase of education.

Please note that this is subject to any changes in Government policy, and we will update here if there are any amendments required.

Schools where you will need to apply for free school meals through Bromley

The London Borough of Bromley manages the free school meals assessment service for all Bromley maintained schools and academies except of those listed below:

• Coopers School
• Harris Academy Beckenham
• Harris Girls Academy Bromley
• La Fontaine Academy

For the listed schools, families must apply directly to the school.

You will not be entitled to claim free school meals if your child is attending one of the following:

• A part-time nursery of pre-school provision.
• An independent or private school (usually a fee-paying school).
• Is home educated.

Universal infant free school meals (UIFSM)

If your child is in Key Stage 1 (Reception, year 1, and year 2) they will automatically receive free school meals and you do not need to apply to receive them.

This is known as Universal infant free school meals.

If, however, you are a low-income family and meet the qualifying benefits (as detailed below) you can help your child’s school by submitting a free school meals application to be assessed against the criteria. If your application is assessed as eligible against the benefits related criteria the school will be able to claim the additional pupil premium funding.

Currently all children attending a Bromley maintained primary, infant, or junior school will receive free school meals under the Mayor of London programme.

Pupils in year 3 and above

Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you are 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)

Pupils who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also get free school meals.

How to apply

Applications should only be made for children who do not have current free school meals eligibility. You do not need to make a separate application for each child and/or each school, as you can name several children on the same application with their individual details.

If you are a Bromley resident but your child attends a school outside of Bromley, you need to apply for means tested free school meals to the local authority where the school is based.

Free school meals application form

The council aims to process your application within 15 working days of it being submitted, although this may take longer during our busiest periods (between May and October).

Once your application has been assessed we will inform you in writing whether your child is eligible to receive free school meals or not.

When your child changes school you do not need to complete a new application for free school meals, as their eligibility details should be sent by the previous school to the new school as part of their pupil information file.

Bromley holiday activities and food programme 

Bromley’s Holiday, Activities and Food programme (HAF) currently provides free holiday club places, including activities and healthy meals outside of term time, for eligible families with children and young people aged between 5 to 16 years old.

The Admissions and Transport Team are unable to assist you with this programme.

Further information on Bromley’s Holiday, Activities and Food programme (HAF).

Other forms of support for your child

If you are seeking any support or assistance with the following matters, you will need to speak to your child’s school:

• Uniform grants or loans
• Access to extra-curricular activities
• Breakfast or before school clubs
• After school clubs

The council does not offer any assistance with these types of support, but your child’s school may be able to assistance under any hardship policy or similar they have in place.