Free School Meals

 Free School Meals Information 2021-22

Guidance from Solihull Local Authority - Applying for Free School Meals

You can register/apply online for your free school meal (FSM) by using the Parent Portal which is part of the existing school admissions online system.

Further information and a link to the online Parent Portal can be found on the Solihull MBC website www.solihull.gov.uk/fsm ;this link can also be used to make changes to any existing Free School Meals accounts.

Please Note: If you already receive free school meals for your children and there are no changes to your details there is no requirement to re-apply as your free meal entitlement will transfer to your child’s new school as long as the previous school was a Solihull School.

If your child’s previous school was not a Solihull School you will have to make an application to Solihull Local Authority as your entitlement will not transfer.

Once Arden has been advised by the Local Authority that an application for FSM has been confirmed, we will update our system to reflect this. 

 

Arden - Free School Meals Guidance 2021-22 

  • The Free School Meal daily allowance is £2.45 and this applies to items purchased at lunchtime only (i.e. not at morning break).   
  • The daily allowance will automatically be added at lunch-time; any unused allowance for that day will be identified and removed.  The following day, the full allowance will automatically be added, as before, at lunch-time.   
  • The allowance may not be carried over to the following school day.  
  • Parents/Guardians may add extra credit to their child’s school meal account, via ParentPay, and this additional money may be used to buy snacks at morning break and to cover any extra food at lunchtime.  Items purchased at morning break are not eligible for the FSM allowance.  
  • There is a daily 'meal deal' available for £2.45 which is a main meal and a dessert.  
  • The catering staff will not allow children in receipt of FSM to buy solely snack items, e.g. cookies, cakes, with their FSM allowance; this is to ensure that they eat a suitable meal/sandwich at lunchtime.  
  • The catering staff will not allow children in receipt of FSM to exceed the £2.45 allowance unless there are extra funds, credited by their parent/guardian, available in their ParentPay lunch account.  
  • A daily maximum ‘spend limit’ of £5.00 will be programmed into the system (for purchases made at morning break and lunch).  This can be increased or decreased for an individual pupil by you making a written request to the school’s Finance Office.

  

You can apply online via: https://www.solihull.gov.uk/fsm

Guidance from SMBC – How to Apply for FSM Online