Free School Meals

At Chosen Hill School we operate a catering system designed to give anonymity to any pupil who is eligible for free school meals. Each day Free School meal children will have a daily allowance of £2.95 which will appear in their dinner money account just like all the other pupils’ money. It is not carried over each day, so it can’t be banked to use on other days and it is available for lunch time only and must be spent on a meal deal. This can be a hot meal, a pasta pot or cold option such as a baguette. Food is available at any of the outlets available to the year group your child is in. If your child would like food options at breaktime, then you will need to top up their dinner accounts with additional funds.

If you believe your child may be entitled to a free school meal, then please see the information below regarding application. It is easy to do and not only will your child benefit from a free meal, they will also benefit through our pupil premium offer (targeted FSM only). This may involve help with trips, uniform, resources and music lessons, as well as targeted support where required.

IMPORTANT CHANGES FROM SEPTEMBER 2026

The Government is expanding the eligibility for Free School Meals to all households in receipt of Universal Credit (UC) from September 2026. Up to now, eligibility was limited to those eligible for UC with income below £7,400 or those covered by the transitional protection. With this measure, the Government expects that about 500,000 more children will benefit from free meals across the country.

At the same time, there will be a decoupling of FSM eligibility and pupil premium eligibility and the end of the transitional protection. This means there will be 2 categories of FSM students from September 2026:

Targeted FSM for families in receipt of Universal Credit with earnings of £7,400 or less. These students will get the free school meal plus pupil premium.
Expanded FSM for families in receipt of Universal Credit with earnings above the income threshold (£7,400). These students will get the free school meal only.

Transitional protections for Free School Meals have been in effect since April 2018. This has meant that pupils becoming eligible for free meals under the benefits-based criteria have retained their entitlement, even if their household earnings improved above the threshold. From the start of the 2026-2027 academic year, transitional protections for FSM will end and households must meet the FSM eligibility criteria to continue receiving provision.

If you are currently in receipt of Free School Meals, or if you believe you will become eligible under the new expansion (ie. you receive Universal Credit) – please ensure you apply directly through Gloucestershire County Council via the link: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/education-and-learning/school-transport-and-free-school-meals/apply-for-free-school-meals

If you are eligible, the school will be notified by the local authority automatically.

If you need any further information, please speak to the Pupil Premium Manager at the school pp@chosen-hill.gloucs.sch.uk or Gloucestershire County Council. You can also visit the free school meal website: https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals