Free School Meals

About Free School Meals 

If you are eligible for free school meals you could be saving yourself hundreds of pounds a year. You could also provide further funding for the school to help with the provision of educational resources to support your child and other children at the school.

Students eligible for free school meals automatically have their student card credited each day, and they can use this allowance at lunchtime to purchase any two items. The system is “invisible”, so students are not aware who is claiming a free school meal.

Families can top up these accounts via Parent Pay if they want their child to be able to spend more than the free school meal allowance or to make purchases at times other than lunchtime.

What’s Changing from September 2026?

Transitional Protection is Ending

Under the current rules, pupils who became eligible for free school meals before September 2026 have continued to receive them even if household circumstances changed. This is known as transitional protection. However, this protection ends from 1 September 2026.

Please read the below carefully, particularly if your child is transferring from primary to secondary school.

New Eligibility Rules

From September 2026, all free school meal entitlement will be based on whether a household meets the current eligibility criteria at that time. Transitional protection will no longer automatically continue entitlement.

All families with children who meet the benefits-based criteria, including receipt of Universal Credit, must be eligible under those criteria to receive free school meals from September 2026.

What This Means for Your Child

Children Moving from Year 6 to Year 7 

If your child is currently receiving free school meals and had entitlement before September 2026:

• Their entitlement will continue until the end of the 2025/26 school year under transitional protection.
• Once they start Year 7 in September 2026, families must meet the new eligibility criteria to continue receiving this entitlement.

Free school meals do not automatically carry over just because your child received this entitlement in Year 6. Families must re-apply before their child starts in Year 7.

Please note that the school cannot process or check applications until a student is officially on roll from 1 September 2026. You will receive confirmation by email before your child starts school on 7 September 2026, advising whether entitlement has been awarded.

Already in Secondary School (Year 7 and above)

If your child currently receives free school meals:

• They are protected under the current rules only until 31 August 2026 (end of the 2025/26 school year).
• From 1 September 2026, they must meet the current eligibility criteria to continue free school meals.

This means that all pupils currently receiving free school meals in Years 7–11 will have their eligibility reviewed in line with the September 2026 national criteria, and entitlement will only continue where the Local Authority confirms that the qualifying requirements are met. 

Entitlements will then be reviewed on an annual basis.

School Year 2025/26 - Can I Apply?

Applicants must be in possesion of either a National Insurance number OR a National Asylum Support Service number. 

Until the end of the school year 2025/26 (31 August 2026), to be eligible for free school meals you must receive one of the below 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 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).

School Year 2026/27 - Can I Apply?

From September 2026, free school meal entitlement will be based on whether families meet the current national eligibility criteria set by the Department for Education. Transitional protection arrangements will end on 31 August 2026. This means previous entitlement will not automatically continue into the 2026/27 academic year unless families still meet the criteria.

Families of pupils moving from Year 6 to Year 7 must ensure that an application has been submitted and eligibility confirmed for secondary school. Please note that the school cannot process or check applications until a student is officially on roll from 1 September 2026. You will receive confirmation by email before your child starts school on 7 September 2026, advising whether entitlement has been awarded.

In addition, all pupils currently receiving free school meals at Orleans will have their eligibility reviewed, and entitlement will only continue where families meet the criteria at that time. Free school meals will no longer automatically carry forward under transitional protection.

Families are responsible for checking eligibility via the Free School Meals Checker and ensuring their application details are up to date.

From 1 September 2026, for your child to be eligible for free school meals, you must receive one of the below benefits:

Universal Credit: From September 2026, any household receiving Universal Credit will qualify, regardless of earnings.

Other qualifying benefits (where applicable). These may include:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

(Eligibility is determined by the Local Authority.)

How to Apply?

Applications to receive free school meals whilst attending Orleans Park are made directly via the school. Click on the link below to complete your application form:

Free School Meals at Orleans Park School 

You can also access the Free School Meals Eligibility Checker by clicking below:

Eligibility Checker

What Happens Next?

Once we receive your application we will let you know the outcome by email. We aim to do this as soon as possible after receiving your application. 

Please note that Orleans Park is not responsible for setting the rules or policies regarding eligibility. While we are happy to assist where possible with the application process, we are only able to facilitate the administration of the scheme and cannot provide individual advice or make decisions regarding entitlement.

Contact Information

If you need to speak to someone regarding your application, please email us at freeschoolmeals@orleanspark.school