Free School Meals

To assist schools by assessing Free School Meal (FSM) entitlement for new claimants against the Government’s Eligibility Checking Service (ECS).



Children may be able to get free school meals if they get any of the following:

  • 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
  • Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

New services launching on 1 June 2026

The new ‘Manage eligibility for free school meals’ and ‘Manage eligibility for childcare support’ services being launched on 1 June are replacing the Eligibility Checking System (ECS). Local authorities should use the new services to manage and check eligibility for free school meals, early years pupil premium and early learning for 2-year-olds. The department will be adding childcare for working families to the new ‘Manage eligibility for childcare support’ service after the June launch date. Until it is added, continue using the Eligibility Checking System (ECS) to check eligibility for childcare for working families and to manage foster families claiming childcare for working families. 

You will need a DfE Sign-in account 

This is a reminder that if you have never used DfE Sign-in before, you will need to create an account at https://services.signin.education.gov.uk/ to access the new services. You can create one any time before the new services are launched.  

You will not be able to see or access the new services within your DfE Sign-in account yet, but from 1 June you will be able to add them to your account. See pages 7-10 in the attached DfE Sign-in guide. 

For help and support, contact the DfE Sign-in service desk.  

How to apply for free school meals

Children attending the below schools need to apply through the school

Children attending the following schools apply through the council's website

  • any other Slough school
  • Cranbury College (Reading)
  • Great Holland Primary School (Bracknell)
  • Hamilton School (Reading)
  • Maiden Erlegh School in Reading (Reading)
  • Maiden Erlegh School (Wokingham)
  • Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge (Oxfordshire)
  • Oak Tree School (Wokingham)
  • Trevelyan Middle School (Windsor)

Data 2022

(Source DfE School Census)

The data below is taken from the School Census, which covers a wide range of information on the characteristics of schools and the pupils within them. All schools that are open on Census day (usually in mid-January) are required to submit a return. Entitlement to free school meals is determined by the receipt of income-related benefits.

Percentage of nursery school pupils eligible for and claiming FSM

Percentage of primary school pupils eligible for and claiming FSM

Percentage of secondary school pupils eligible for and claiming FSM

Percentage of special school pupils eligible for and claiming FSM