School meals
A healthy and balanced diet is important for learning, and we offer a range of nutritious school meals to keep our pupils fuelled for the day.
A healthy and balanced diet is important for learning, and we offer a range of nutritious school meals to keep our pupils fuelled for the day.
Starting in September 2026, all children in England whose families receive Universal Credit are eligible for free school meals, regardless of household income. For other qualifying benefits like income-related ESA, or if you have no recourse to public funds, specific criteria apply.
The expansion removes previous income thresholds (such as the £7,400 cap) and divides eligibility into two main tiers:
Targeted Free School Meals: For families receiving Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less, or those on qualifying legacy benefits (like Income Support or Pension Credit). These students also qualify for extra benefits, such as holiday activity programs and Pupil Premium funding for the school.
Expanded Free School Meals: For families receiving Universal Credit with earnings above £7,400 per year. Children in this tier are entitled to daily free school meals but do not automatically trigger the extra support like extended school travel assistance.
How to check and apply:
Eligibility is checked every year. You can submit an application and verify your status directly through our local council’s official portal. For further information and detailed criteria, review the official GOV.UK Apply for Free School Meals guide.
You can apply online here.
If your application is successful our school will also receive extra funding from the government in the form of Pupil Premium, which can be used to support teaching and learning.
To be eligible for free school meals, you must receive one of the following benefits:
· Income Support
· Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
· Child Tax Credit (not Working Tax Credit) with an annual income below £16,190
· Pension Guarantee Credit · Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)
· Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
· Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying)
· Universal Credit with a household income of £7,400 or less (after tax and excluding benefits)
We operate a cashless catering system, where students use a swipe card to pay for meals. Funds can be added via ParentPay, our online payment platform. To avoid payment delays, we recommend using the standard card payment method rather than the one-click bank transfer, which can take up to 10 days to process. Follow these steps to top up your child’s balance:
Log in to the arbor parent app.
Pupils are welcome to bring a packed lunch from home. We encourage healthy choices, such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain foods, to support their learning and wellbeing throughout the day.
A healthy lifestyle and a clear understanding of their own dietary needs is something that we believe all our children should have access to from Nursery to Yr6. All children are provided with a water bottle which is refilled and cleaned on a daily basis and enables them to access water throughout the day.
If your child has any dietary requirements or allergies, please inform the school so we can make suitable arrangements. Please be aware of allergies of other pupils and follow and guidance you get from school about what food can be brought in from home.
Please note that we are a no nuts school and we ask that you do not send in products that contain nuts.
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Lift Lea Forest,
Hurstcroft Road,
Kitts Green, Birmingham
B33 9RD
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