Free School Meals

We would encourage all eligible families to apply for free school meals. If your child is transferring to us into Y7 from a maintained Somerset Council primary school, their entitlement should automatically transfer and you will not need to make a new application.  However, if you have not yet made an application or your circumstances have changed such that you now believe your child/ren will be eligible, then please click on the link below to check eligibility and apply via Somerset Council.

https://www.somerset.gov.uk/education-and-families/free-school-meals/

Eligibility summary

From 1 September 2026, there are 2 categories of eligibility for free school meals:
 
Targeted: this covers children in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less. These children will attract pupil premium and other disadvantaged funding for their schools. Other education entitlements, such as the holiday activities and food programme (HAF) and the ‘extended rights’ element of school travel assistance will be based on targeted free school meals.

Expanded: this covers children who are in households receiving Universal Credit with annual household earnings exceeding £7,400. Children will be entitled to free school meals only.  This means they will not be eligible for pupil premium.

Moving between schools and applying for free school meals

Parents/carers do not need to reapply for Free School Meals when their child/children move schools within Somerset (the Unitary Authority district) so there is no need to complete a new application for the new school. However, if your child moves into school from outside of Somerset, eg: a school in B&NES or North Somerset, you will need to complete a new application form as there is no longer any free school meals protection between local authorities.

How does my child receive their free school meal?

£3.30 per school term day is automatically credited to your child's personal catering account.  If they spend more than £3.30 per day, you as parent/carer will need to top-up with your own payment (via Arbor payments or at the cash machine). 

If your child doesn't spend any or all of their £3.30 allocation on a particular day, the balance is rolled over up to a maximum of £40.00 cumulative.   If they haven't spent their FSM balance by the end of the academic year or on leaving The Blue, their balance is reset to zero. 

FSM entitlement can only be spent on food and drink at our catering service (including Hatch) in Bailey.  Nobody knows if your child is receiving FSM or not.  When your child goes to pay at the till they use their finger tips or PIN to record their purchase the same as with all other students.  The only difference is that £3.30 has been credited to their account for them to spend.  Parents/carers will be expected to fund any purchases beyond £3.30 on a particular day.  A daily spend limit can be requested if desired.

School Uniform Voucher

The Blue School provides a one-off voucher towards the purchase of school uniform for students joining the school who are eligible for free school meals. 

Students joining Y7 each September, where we have been made aware of eligibility, will automatically be sent a voucher for the value of £60 and redeemable at South West Schoolwear, Willmotts Road, Southover, Wells, Somerset, BA5 1UH prior to joining the school. 

Students joining the school outside the normal transition process (in-year admissions throughout the school year) will be issued with a voucher on joining the school where they are eligible for free school meals.  For further information, please see the School Uniform section of this website.