Free School Meals
Applying for Free School Meals
As you may know, students from families who meet certain criteria (see below) may be eligible for Free School Meals and/or Pupil Premium funding. Applications for free school meals have previously been made via DCC and have not taken into account changes in circumstances or tax codes. We will now be using a system that will enable you to identify more accurately if your child is entitled to free school meals. Schools who have already started using this system have typically found that there are far more families who can benefit from funding than had previously been identified.
We want to ensure that we provide the best possible education here at Glossopdale School and this funding can help us to do that. A healthy meal at lunchtime is an essential part of this. We want to support our families to apply to receive this for free wherever possible. If you receive one of the following benefits you may be eligible for Free School Meals:
* Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
* 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 guarantee 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 four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
We are using a system of checking eligibility for free school meals using National Insurance numbers. This means that your eligibility will be checked against your tax code and is therefore a more accurate identification of whether your child is entitled to free school meals. Circumstances do change and the details of the application will be stored and resubmitted for checking weekly, enabling any change of eligibility to be notified to you and the school. We therefore encourage the completion of the application by all parents. All information provided is kept confidential and is only used to establish eligibility for free school meals.
Please can ALL parents complete this form:
https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims
It is very straightforward to use. Please make sure that you have your National Insurance number to hand. Entering this information will mean that your entitlement is updated on a weekly basis and your eligibility is kept up to date.
You may also apply via Derbyshire County Council (include existing link).
Derbyshire County Council FSM application
Additional Support
The following provide food parcels for families in need:
Glossopdale Foodbank
Need a Food Parcel and in financial hardship?
Food parcels can be collected from one of these places:
Glossop Children's Centre, off Victoria St, Glossop,
SK13 8HZ
Mondays to Fridays 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
(closed weekends and bank holidays)
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Hadfield Children's Centre, off Queen’s St, Hadfield, SK13 2DW
Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 – 11
(closed bank holidays)
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The Community Pantry, Winster Mews, Gamesley, SK13 OLU
Tuesdays to Fridays 10.00 to 3.00.
(closed bank holidays and weekends)
If you are housebound or self isolating and in need of a parcel, please contact 07789 191560 or send a message through our Facebook page: Glossopdale Foodbank
Hardship and Emergency Funds
Please see details below of the Derbyshire Discretionary Fund, which provides emergency funding for families in need:
There is also a household fund to support families in need with food, energy, water bills and the cost of living:
Advice and Guidance
The Citizens Advice Bureau offers expert advice and guidance for families to support their spending and access grants to help with household bills: