From September 2014 the Government will provide a free school lunch for all your children attending Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. However, if your child had been entitled to a free school meal under the old system you will need to apply in the usual way. This is extremely important for two reasons. Firstly, there is still a requirement for the authorities to monitor the number of pupils who would be entitled to a free school meal and secondly a significant part of our school funding is based on the number of children eligible for free school meals.

Families should apply for the Free School Meal allowance, if they receive any of the below benefits:

• Income Support
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit with an annual income of less thank £16,190, provided they are not receiving Working Tax Credit
• The ‘Guaranteed’ element of the State Pension Credit
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (you will need to apply directly to the school not Bradford Council)
• Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit

For further advice and support, please contact the school office on 01274 731698 or email us at office@ststephens.bradford.sch.uk.

• The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. Local authorities are responsible for looked after children in care and will make payments to schools and academies where an eligible looked after child is on roll
• The Pupil Premium Grant is additional to the main school funding, and we use this to address underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals and their peers. It is allocated to children from low-income families who are currently known to be eligible for free school meals and children who have been ‘looked after’ continuously for more than six months.
• A premium has also been introduced for children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces. This service premium is designed to address the emotional and social well-being of these pupils.
• Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. We use it for a range of academic, pastoral and enrichment purposes with the general aim that all children deserve the best regardless of background. We are held accountable for how we have used the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families and each year we publish a statement which details how we spend this funding which you can view below.

Please see more information about the Pupil Premium Grant at the Department for Education Website.