Universal Primary Free School Meal Provision for Nursery Age Pupils

The final roll-out of Universal Primary Free School Meals (UPFSM) concluded in Rhondda Cynon Taf in April 2024, ahead of Welsh Governments deadline of September 2024.

Since the roll out commenced in September 2022, nursery age pupils’ entitlement to UPFSM has been the term following their 4th birthday, which is in accordance with the Council’s admission policy. The UPFSM funding grant conditions stipulated eligible nursery pupils are those who attend local authority funded nursery provision on a full-time basis (morning and afternoon sessions) and not nursery provision funded part-time by the local authority and part-time by the schools delegated budget.

However, we have recently received confirmation from Welsh Government that from September 2024 pupils attending nursery education on a full-time basis, irrespective of how it is funded are eligible to receive UPFSM.

This means that from January 2025 when our Nursery pupils go full time, that they will be eligible for a Universal Primary Free School Meals (UPFSM) if they have turned 4 and or as soon as they turn 4, as opposed to currently, where they would have to wait until the term after their 4th birthday.

Until this happens, all school dinners are £2.85 daily and are to be paid in advance weekly, please. Your child's 10 digit pupil reference number will be sent to you by the end of this week, once all the children are on our school systems.

Please can we remind all parents that even if their child now receives a Universal Primary Free School Meal (Eligible Nursery pupils through to Year 6) that they could be eligible to access wider support, such as the School Essentials Grant for items such as uniform, kit and stationery (up to £200) plus extra funding for your school.

All schools across Wales will then be entitled to additional funding to provide education and support these children.If eligible families don’t apply for a free school meal through the council it will affect the amount of funding from Welsh Government that the schools receive, meaning the school has less money than it is entitled to in order to provide education and support to your children.

If you think your child may be entitled to a Free School Meal, even if your child is in receipt of a meal under this new scheme, please complete the online application form on the Council’s website Free School Meals or ask the main school office for a paper copy, which we can then scan for you.

Kind regards