Free school meals/pupil premium payments are available to all eligible pupils attending Bromley maintained schools and academies.

The current government guidance advises that, If your child has already been assessed as eligible for free school meals since April 2018, you do not need to submit a new application until they finish their current phase of education (i.e., primary or Year 11 in secondary).

If your child attends Coopers School, Harris Academy Beckenham, Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley, or La Fontaine Academy, you will need to apply direct to the school, as the council does not manage free school meal applications for these schools.

If your child attends a non-Bromley school, you must apply to the local authority where the school is situated. 

You will not be entitled to claim free school meals if your child is attending part time nursery or pre-school provision, is home educated or attends a fee-paying independent/private school.

Infant pupils

Children in Reception Year, Year 1, and Year 2 (Key Stage 1) automatically receive free school meals. This is called Universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) and you do not need to apply for meals.

If, however, you are a low-income family, and meet the qualifying benefits detailed below, you can help your child’s school by submitting a free school meals application to be assessed. If your child is assessed as eligible the school will then be able to claim pupil premium funding to support the provision of education for children in the school.

Children in Year 3 and above

Your child may be eligible for free school meals if you are receiving any of the following benefits:

  • Income support
  • Income based Jobseekers Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Child Tax Credit (providing you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit), with a gross annual household income of no more than £16,190 (as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs-HMRC)
  • Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit
  • Support under part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Working Tax Credit run-on (the payment received for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
  • Universal Credit, with a net annual household income of £7,400 or less (after tax and not including any other benefits you receive).

How to apply

Apply for free school meals

We recommend you apply online using the above link. If you are unable to complete the application online, you can request a paper application from your child’s school.

Your application will be processed within 15 working days of receipt, and we will notify you and the school of the outcome in writing. Please be advised that July-October are extremely busy times for applications, and it may take longer than 15 working days to complete.

When an eligible child transfers schools (including primary school to secondary school), a new free school meals application is not required because previous eligibility information will be sent to the new school as part of the pupil information file.

Other forms of support for your child

If you are seeking assistance with other forms of support for your child, such as:

  • Uniform grants
  • Access to extracurricular activities
  • Before and after school clubs

you will need to speak to your child’s school to see if they can assist under any hardship policy or similar that they may have in place.

The Council does not offer any assistance with these types of support. 

Free school meals team

Admissions and transport

Address: Civic Centre, Stockwell Building, Bromley, BR1 3UH

Telephone: 020 8313 4044