School Meals

All children from Reception to Year 6 are entitled to Universal Free School Meals from September 2025

We run our menus on a 3-week cycle. The menus are at the bottom of this page

Our school milk scheme

• Did you know our school has a school milk scheme? By registering your child for our school milk scheme they will receive a 189ml (third of a pint) carton of semi-skimmed milk every day. This is delivered fresh and chilled to their classroom every day.

“How much does it cost?”

• Thanks to government subsidies, school milk is free for all under-5s and is subsided at around £15 a term for children aged 5 or older.

“Why should I register my child?”

• School milk provides your child with essential nutrients such as calcium and protein, for strong, healthy teeth and bones. It is also rehydrating and energy boosting, helping to bridge the long gap between breakfast and lunch so children stay focused.

“How do I register my child?”

• If your child is under 5 years of age:

1. Go to www.coolmilk.com.
2. Just register by a Tuesday for your child’s free milk to start the following week.
3. Free milk will continue until the Friday before your child’s fifth birthday. You will receive a payment request three weeks before this time- if you wish for your child to continue to receive school milk, simply make a payment.

• If your child is over 5 years of age:

1. Go to www.coolmilk.com.
2. Pay Cool Milk online, over the phone, at a local PayPoint or by cheque in installments to suit you. If you register online, you can pay straight away. If using a registration form you will need to wait to receive a payment request.
3. Just pay by a Tuesday for your child’s milk to start the following week.

Visit www.coolmilk.com or contact Cool Milk directly on 0844 854 2913.

Preston Manor has a cashless catering system. The canteen system enables us to deliver a more efficient, faster service and to continue to have wholesome, healthy, and enjoyable meals at the lowest cost. The system is based on biometric finger patterns or pin numbers.

What is a Cashless System?

This is a system that incorporates the latest technology and eliminates the need to carry cash throughout the day. All students will be given training on how to use the system. As well as being able to recognise each individual student and member of staff, the system can hold individual balances and record what food has been purchased on any specific date and time of day.

How are students recognised by the system?

The system will be based on biometric finger patterns and our supplier follows Government and BECTA guidelines with regard to data protection. Each student will have their fingerprint registered which will then be translated into an alphanumeric number after which the image is discarded. Please complete the attached consent form. However, the school will offer a pin number for families who do not wish to use the biometric system.

How is this used to obtain a school meal & drink?

The student or member of staff simply places their finger on a scanner at the point of sale; a display will show the name and current balance held within the system. The selected food and drink items will be entered into the system from an itemised keyboard while the amount spent, and the new balance will show on the display.

How is money entered into the system?

(a) ParentPay: ParentPay offers parents the freedom to top-up their child’s account quickly and easily with a debit or credit card. All parents will have a secure online account which is accessed with a unique user ID and password.

An electronic record of the payments can be viewed online at any time. We would encourage as many parents as possible to use this convenient method. CLICK HERE to go to the ParentPay website.

(b) PayPoint: at local stores for parents who prefer to continue using cash, they can top up their child’s account at any PayPoint store. Cash will not be accepted anywhere at school. If you wish to find the nearest store to your home, please follow link https://www.paypoint.com/

Pupil Premium

Schools receive extra government funding for every child registered as eligible for a free school meal if their parents receive benefits.

This is £1,550 for children in primary school and £1,100 for children in secondary school. 

If you get benefits, it is very important that you fill in an application form for a free school meal.

Your child’s school can use this money for:

• extra tuition
• learning support assistants
• art therapy
• booster classes
• educational trips
• after school clubs

 

Is my child eligible for free school meals

You may be entitled to receive free school meals if you are in receipt of certain benefits or support. You could also raise additional pupil premium funding for your child’s school to fund support like extra tuition, additional teaching staff or after school activities. The information collected in this form will allow us to make this assessment. 

From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, FSM eligibility is expanding to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit regardless of household earnings. Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits: 

• Universal Credit
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

A pupil is only eligible to receive a free school meal where both:

• A claim for this support has been made.
• Their eligibility has been verified by the school where they are enrolled or by the local authority. 

Households may also be entitled to a meal if they:

• are in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• receive the guarantee element of Pension Credit
• meet criteria set out in separate guidance for families with no recourse to public funds

Free school meals for infants

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 can get free school meals whether the parents receive benefits or not.

If you receive benefits, it is still important that you complete a free school meals application, even if you don’t want your child to receive a free meal.

Your child’s school will get extra government funding for every child registered as eligible for a targeted free school meal. This funding is to support learning and is called the ‘pupil premium’.

Mayor of London universal free school meals (UFSM)

The Mayor of London is providing grant funding to pay for free school meals for key stage 2 pupils in all state primary schools who do not qualify for Government-funded income-related free school meals

More details about the programme can be found online

Parents and carers should still continue to apply for the Pupil Premium Grant which helps your child’s school to provide a range of extra opportunities, resources, and activities.

Information and guidance on how to apply for the grant can be found on this page

Children must go to a Brent primary school, secondary school, sixth form or nursery attached to a Brent school where they attend for a full day (sessions before and after lunch).

All children in households with no recourse to public funds are entitled to Free School Meals, subject to maximum income thresholds.
Full details on free school meals are available on the Department for Education website.

Applicants from this cohort will need to apply by completing the application form on the Department of Education website and e-mailing it to school.admissions@brent.gov.uk

Changes to Free School Meal Eligibility from September 2026

We are writing to inform you of important changes to Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility that will take effect from the start of the 2026–2027 academic year.

Expanded Free School Meal Entitlement

The Government has announced that, from September 2026, all children in households receiving Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals, regardless of household earnings.

There will be two categories of eligibility:

Targeted Free School Meals

• Available to families receiving Universal Credit with annual earnings of £7,400 or less. This entitles pupils to:
   - Free school meals
   - Additional support linked to Pupil Premium funding
   - Access to the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme
   - Other related educational support where applicable

Expanded Free School Meals

• Available to families receiving Universal Credit with annual earnings above £7,400.
• Entitles pupils to:
   - Free school meals only

Families with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) may also qualify for Targeted FSM if they meet separate eligibility criteria.

End of Transitional Protections

Since 2018, some pupils have continued to receive free school meals under transitional protection arrangements, even when changes in family circumstances meant they would no longer qualify.

These transitional protections will end at the close of the 2025–2026 academic year.

As a result:
Some pupils who currently receive free school meals may no longer be eligible from September 2026 if their family is not receiving Universal Credit or another qualifying benefit.
Eligibility will be determined by a family's current benefit status.
What You Need to Do
If your child currently receives free school meals:
In most cases, you will not need to submit a new application.
If your child currently receives free school meals, you will usually not need to submit a new application. Brent Council will contact you if any further information is required.
If your child is joining a new school in September 2026, the school may ask you to confirm your details.
If your child does not currently receive free school meals:
You may now be eligible under the expanded criteria.
Applications should be made through Brent Council
For information on how to apply, please visit:

Free School Meals l Brent Council

Further Information

If you are unsure whether your child is eligible, or if your circumstances have changed, please contact Brent Council for advice and support.

Please note that all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 continue to receive Universal Infant Free School Meals, and the Mayor of London's scheme also provides free meals for pupils in Key Stage 2 at Brent primary schools. However, eligible families should still apply for benefits-related Free School Meals, as this can provide additional funding and support for their child's school.