Free School Meals

The Government is giving money to schools to help children from lower income families do their very best. This funding is called a 'Pupil Premium'.

For every child registered Bingley Grammar School gets £1050 this year.

With this money we could provide additional targeted revision sessions, help fund the cost of extra resources for students who need additional support, provide literacy and numeracy support for small groups of students where a need is identified or help parents at difficult times eg with costs of school trips.
(see our website for information on how the Pupil Premium funding has been spent recently).

If you are registered for Free School Meals you may also be entitled to a Bingley Grammar School Clothing Voucher to assist with costs of school uniform. Click here to download the application form or for more information contact the school directly on 01274 807700.

How do I register for Free School Meals?

1. First, check if you qualify – it is not just if you are unemployed, so please look at the list at the end of this letter.

2. Registering is really quick and easy – if you think you qualify, contact the Benefits Helpline at Bradford Council on 01274 432772 for an application form and help with registering, or access the information through the council's website here: Free School Meals. Registering online is the quickest method of application and often means it can be dealt with more speedily.

3. You may not need to fill in a full claim form. If you already receive help with your rent or Council Tax you will automatically be considered for Free School Meals. If you're already getting help and think you might qualify for Free School Meals but haven't heard, please ring the Benefits Helpline on 01274 432772 and they'll tell you what you need to do.

What are the benefits?

1. Your child can have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime, saving you more than £500 a year in dinner money or saving you the hassle of preparing a packed lunch every day. Because Bingley Grammar School operates a cashless system, £2.85 will automatically be credited to your child/children's account on a daily basis offering complete discretion.

2. If you don't want your child to have the school meals they can continue as normal – as long as you qualify and are registered, the school still gets £1050 extra.

3. If you qualify for Free School Meals you may also be entitled to a Bingley Grammar School Clothing Voucher worth £30-£45 per child, even if you don't want your child to take the meals.

No one will know you have registered and it will not affect any other benefits you are claiming.

Do you qualify?

You can register your child for Free School Meals if you get any of these benefits:

• 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 Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit, provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
• Working Tax Credit 'run-on' - the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit (FSM available for this period of 4 weeks)
• Universal Credit

Pupils can also register for Free School Meals if they get any of these benefits themselves.