Pupil Premium
Free School Meals and Pupil Premium
Could your child get extra support?
Free School Meals (FSM) and Pupil Premium are not the same thing.
There are now two types of funding for school to help support pupils:
🟢 Targeted Free School Meals
Your child gets:
- Free school meals
- Pupil Premium funding for the school
Pupil Premium gives the school extra money to help remove barriers and improve opportunities for eligible pupils.
This may help the school provide things such as:
- School trips and visits
- Music and arts
- Clubs and activities
- Extra learning support
- Resources and equipment
Pupil Premium is school funding, not money paid directly to families or specifically for that child.
🔵 Expanded Free School Meals
Your child gets:
- Free school meals
However, this does not provide Pupil Premium funding to the school.
What if my child is in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2?
Children in these year groups already receive a Universal Free School Meal.
This is different from Targeted Free School Meals.
If you think you may be eligible for Targeted FSM, please still apply.
Do I need to apply?
Devon County Council now has an automatic system which can identify some eligible children.
If you are not contacted, you can still apply yourself.
Apply online
Devon County Council – Free School Meals application
You can also find more information here:
Devon County Council – Free School Meals
Not sure if you qualify? Apply anyway.
The online system will check your eligibility.
Need help?
Please speak to the school. We are happy to help you complete the application.
You can also call the Devon Education Helpline:
0345 155 1019
The important bit
Targeted FSM = free meals + extra funding for school
Expanded FSM = free meals only
If your child is eligible for Targeted FSM, registering them can help bring additional funding into school to support pupils and provide wider opportunities.