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School meals

Abacus is a nut free school

 

All children in Reception Class and KS1 are entitled to a free school meal under the current Government Universal Free School meals scheme. 

Menus are available on the Caterlink website. As of 2024-25 academic year, all primary school meals in London are fully funded as announced by the Mayor of London.

Who gets free school meals?

Children in reception, year 1 and 2

All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 can get free school meals.

If you receive a qualifying benefit (see list below) you should complete the application form so that the school can receive extra funding.

If your child attends a nursery attached to a Camden primary school or a Camden run children’s centre then you should also apply for free school meals.

Children in year 3, 4, 5 and 6

All children in year 3, year 4, year 5 and year 6 can get free school meals for the 2024-2025 school year only regardless of benefits or household earnings.  Funding for this is provided by the Mayor of London and it covers schools in London boroughs only.

If you receive a qualifying benefit (see list below) you should complete the application form so that the school can receive extra funding. 

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Job Seeker's Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Universal Credit – your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including benefits) 
  • Child Tax Credit with a taxable income of no more than £16,190 and not in receipt of Working Tax Credit
  • the Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit
  • support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS)

If you receive Working Tax Credit you will not be entitled to free school meals unless you have:

  • stopped work in the last 4 weeks; or
  • reduced your hours to less than 16 hours in the last 4 weeks

Applications must be made in the name of the person who is receiving the benefit.

You only need to apply once. Any child eligible for free school meals from 1 April 2018 will keep their free school meals eligibility until 31 March 2025, even if your circumstances change.

Apply for free school meals

If your child attends a Camden school, you must apply to us, even if Camden is not your local authority.

Apply for free school meals

If you do not want to apply online, please download a free school meals application form You must print this out and post it to us at the address given on the form. 

If you’re eligible, we will let your child’s school know within 10 working days of receiving your application. We will also contact you to confirm your entitlement.

 

Packed lunches

If you wish, your child can also bring in a packed lunch. Please try to ensure that it contains a healthy balance of ingredients, for example a sandwich, some raw vegetables, and some fruit. Please don’t include sweets or fizzy drinks in your child’s lunch box.

Kindly note that because of the risks from seed and nut allergies, we do not allow nuts and seeds, or products containing them, into school.

Only plain water is allowed in packed lunches, and we kindly ask you to use reusable plastic bottles. Water is also available throughout the day for children to access at school.