School Meals
From September 2026 school meals will cost £3.20 per day, £16.00 per week (this applies to pupils in KS2, pupils in KS1 receive UIFSM (Universal Infant Free School Meals)).
Meals are selected and paid for (if applicable) on the SchoolGrid.
Special Dietary Requests
Should your child require a special diet please see the QR code below for the process to follow. Thank you.
Free School Meals
Your child will be eligible for free school meals if you (or your partner) are in receipt of, either :
- 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 (but not Working Tax Credit) and your annual gross income (as assessed by HM Revenue and Customs) is not more than £16,190
- Working Tax Credit 'run on' – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
Changes from September 2026
From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, the eligibility rules have been extended to include all children from households who are in receipt if Universal Credit regardless of household earnings.
As a result of these changes, there is a requirement for eligibility to Free School Meals to be checked once a year as previous protections will end.
From September 2026, free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance
- Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit element)
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Pupils are only eligible for a free school meal where both a claim has been made and the eligibility has been verified by the Local Authority or the school where they are enrolled.
Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or guardian, can also receive free school meals.
Should your child finish a phase of education i.e. primary (Year 6) or secondary (Year 11), you will need to reapply for Free School Meals.
Pupil Premium
Your child’s school will also receive additional funding if you are in receipt of a qualifying award listed above. It is therefore important that you claim free school meals and the pupil premium even if your child does not wish to take a school meal or your child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 and already receives an infant free school meal.
To apply for Free School Meals please use the following link St Helens Council Free Meal Application