Free School Meals (FSM) can be claimed by those students whose parents or guardians are in receipt of one of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• 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 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400* per year (after tax and not including any benefits you get) 

*This threshold is provided by the DFE and is subject to change.

If you feel you may be eligible for FSM, you can contact Bedford Borough Council Education Welfare Service and request an application form to be sent to you or apply online via www.bedford.gov.uk

The Academy operates a biometric cashless system for catering, for which all students are allocated an account. If your child is entitled to free school meals, a daily credit of £2.60 will be added to their account automatically, which can be used to purchase food. Any spend over £2.60 and/or the purchase of drinks must be paid for by the student by one of the methods listed in the Cashless Catering section. Please note that any underspend of the free school meal allowance will not be carried forward.