We need your help! Register for Free School Meals and unlock extra funding for our school.

As everyone is aware at the moment, schools, along with other public services, are under significant financial pressure. At Purley Oaks we are always looking at ways to maximise the income we receive. Did you know if you are eligible for certain benefits not only could your child receive a Free School Meal, but our school will also get extra funding as well?

Even though some children are already entitled to receive a free meal through the Government’s Universal Infant Free School Meal initiative, you can help us unlock vital extra cash for our school by checking your eligibility for Free School Meals.

The Government uses the number of children entitled to Free School Meals to determine the amount of Pupil Premium funding each school receives. A simple registration process could unlock £1,320 in funding per child, per year for our school. This funding would make a big difference to Purley Oaks and so we are asking you to check if you can help.

We would like to urge all parents who are currently in receipt of certain state income benefits, and whose children would therefore qualify for Free School Meals, to make sure that they register. But we also particularly want to ask those parents of children in reception and years one and two, who receive such benefits, to make sure that they still register with us. Because these children are automatically entitled to receive meals free of charge under the Universal Infant Free School Meal initiative, you may not have realised that Purley Oaks is missing out on a significant amount of funding to which all the children at Purley Oaks are entitled to benefit from.

Pupil Premium funding can be used by the school in a variety of ways to support the children at school and to help boost their achievements. This will usually include extra staff and classes to help pupils with their learning, and might include contributions to such things as the cost of school trips, buying school equipment and even helping to subsidise school uniform. It can also extend to the school funding ‘extras’ such music or dance lessons. Children are eligible for Pupil Premium, also called ‘Ever 6’ for six years after they are no longer on the Free School Meal register. This will more than likely mean that many of our children will continue to benefit in secondary school.

Your child may be eligible for free school meals if you receive any of the following:

Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance
Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (as long as 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
Universal Credit

We would be very grateful if you would check your child’s eligibility online using the Free School Meal Checking Service provided by the London Grid for Learning (LGfL): https://pps.lgfl.org.uk/. As a thank you for using this service, regardless of whether your child is eligible for Free School Meals or not LGfL will provide parents of children attending LGfL-connected schools like Purley Oaks with Sophos AntiVirus software, free of charge, to protect the computers used by pupils at home.

To gain access to the antivirus software, you will have to complete a short registration process. This is straightforward, there is no advertising and no catch; LGfL (a UK education charity) is providing this service to support schools.

Alternatively, please complete the form below and return it to the school office via your child’s class teacher.

We encourage you to help us with this and either check your eligibility online or return the attached form as soon as possible.

Please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s class teacher or the school office if you have any questions about Pupil Premium and registering for free school meals.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

FREE SCHOOL MEAL APPLICATION FORM