1. Home
  2. Benefits and support

Apply for free school meals

Free school meals can be applied for your child, if they attend any state funded school, including nursery, primary and secondary and you meet the eligibility criteria.

Please check the list of participating schools listed below. If your child’s school is not listed, you will have to contact the school directly to apply for Free School Meals.

Primary school children in state-funded schools in London will continue to get free school meals for the next academic year. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has extended the funding as the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit families, so that children will receive free school meals in 2023-24 and 2024-25. 

  • reception
  • year 1
  • year 2
  • year 3
  • year 4
  • year 5
  • year 6

Children will receive the entitlements automatically but it is really that important for parents on a low income, or who are in receipt of certain benefits, to apply for the Means Tested Free School Meals for the following reasons:

  • If eligible for Means Tested Free School Meals, your child's school will get additional funding through the Pupil Premium - up to £1300. That's extra money to spend on enrichment activities, teacher development and targeted support for the children that need it most.
  • You will receive food vouchers worth £3 a day from your school over the school holidays (currently funded up until February 2024)

 Apply for free school meals 

Check if you're eligible 

You may be eligible to receive free school meals and funding for your child’s school through the pupil premium if you receive one of the following benefits:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit, or 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 working, your net household income must be less than £7,400 a year (not including any benefits you get)

No Recourse to Public Funds

Free school meals has now been permanently extended to all families affected by No Recourse to Public Funds

This is subject to the following income and capital thresholds: 

  • £22,700 per annum for families outside London with one child
  • £31,200 per annum for families within London with one child
  • £26,300 per annum for families outside London with two or more children
  • £34,800 per annum for families within London with two or more children
  • Capital/Savings threshold of £16,000

Information to help you apply

If you do not have the internet at home, you can go to your local library or come to the Civic Offices and use one of our free computers.

School place allocations

If you have recently been notified about your child’s school place (either for Primary or Secondary), please do not apply for free school meals until your child has actually started at the school, or is about to. 

Applications made before starting school in September will be refused and you’ll be asked to reapply nearer the start of the autumn term. 

This doesn’t apply to:

  • a child who attends a Local Authority maintained school nursery across the lunchtime period and will be moving into reception in September 
  • any child moving to or starting a new school midterm

Entitlement for these children will begin on the day their free school meals application was made.

Out of Borough Schools

If you live in Sutton but your child attends a school that is outside of the borough, please contact the Local Authority where your child attends school. 

Part-time pupils

Part-time pupils are not entitled to free school meals. It only applies to children who are receiving education before and after the lunch period. 

Home-schooled children 

If a child is not enrolled in a school they are not entitled to free school meals. 

If you need support, please contact the Cognus Inclusion Coordinator by email or call 07508 993068

Looked After Children

There is no automatic entitlement to Free School Meals for looked after children, including those in care, fostered, previously looked after children and recently adopted children.

If you wish to apply please refer to the eligibility criteria listed above.

However, all of the above children would qualify for the Looked after Child Pupil Premium. Please contact your child's school if you have any queries regarding this premium. 

After you’ve submitted your application

  1. once your application is received, your details will be checked against current DWP/HMRC records, via the Department for Education database
  2. if you’re eligible, your child’s school will be notified
  3. the school will arrange for your child to receive free school meals and for the school to receive the Pupil Premium funding

You don’t need to re-apply once free school meals have been awarded. You’ll only need to re-apply if your child has moved schools or you have had a change in your financial circumstances. 

You can email us with any changes or enquiries. 

Participating schools

We accept Free School Meal applications for the following schools. If your child's school is not listed, please apply to the school directly.

This list is valid as of 1 July 2023

  • Abbey Primary School
  • All Saints Benhilton Primary
  • All Saint’s Carshalton
  • Bandon Hill Primary
  • Brookfield Primary School
  • Carshalton Boys Sports College
  • Cheam Common Infants School
  • Cheam Common Juniors
  • Cheam Fields Primary 
  • Cheam High School
  • Cheam Park Farm Infants
  • Cheam Park Farm Primary Academy
  • Culvers House Primary School
  • Dorchester Primary School
  • Forester’s
  • Glenthorne High School
  • Greenshaw High School
  • Green Wrythe Primary School
  • Hackbridge Primary School
  • Harris Academy Sutton
  • Highview Primary
  • Holy Trinity
  • Manor Park Primary
  • Muschamp Primary 
  • Nonsuch High School
  • Oakfield Primary
  • Oaks Park High School
  • Overton Grange
  • Robin Hood Infants School
  • Robin Hood Junior School
  • Sherwood Park (Hill Campus) School
  • Sherwood Park School
  • St Cecilia's Catholic Primary School 
  • St Dunstan’s
  • St Elphege’s Infants
  • St Elphege’s Juniors
  • St Mary’s Infants
  • St Mary’s Juniors
  • Stanley Park Junior School
  • Sutton Tuition & Reintegration Service (STARS)
  • The John Fisher School
  • Tweeddale Primary
  • Victor Seymour Infants
  • Wallington High School for Girls
  • Wandle Valley
  • Westbourne Primary School
  • Woodfield Primary