Free school meals
Eligibility
To get free school meals, your child must attend a school within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. This could be an infant, primary or secondary school.
If your child attends a school in another borough, you must apply to the relevant council or school directly.
If your child goes to an academy school
We only provide free school meals for children who attend local academies that we have an agreement with. These are:
- Bannockburn Primary School
- Charlton Park Academy
- King’s Oak School (formerly Moatbridge)
- Royal Greenwich Trust School
- Stationers' Crown Woods Academy
- St Paul's Academy
- Waterside Primary School
- Woolwich Polytechnic Girls
- Woolwich Polytechnic Boys
If your child goes to an academy that is not on this list, you must contact the academy directly.
Free school meals for infant and primary school pupils
The Greater London Authority have been funding free school meals for primary school pupils since 2023. Find out more on the Greater London Authority website
All children automatically get free school meals when they’re in:
- reception
- year 1
- year 2
- year 3
- year 4
- year 5
- year 6
If you’re on a qualifying benefit, you should still complete an application form.
This will help you get other benefits such as free holiday clubs and support payments during the holidays. This will also mean that your school will get extra money from the government. This could go towards things like extra tuition, learning assistants and after-school activities.
Eligibility for children of groups who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
Free school meals are available to children in households with no recourse to public funds (NRPF).
These groups include, but may not be limited to children of:
- Zambrano carers
- families who have no recourse to public funds with a right to remain in the UK on grounds of private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights
- families receiving support under Section 17 of the Children Act 1989 who are also subject to a no recourse to public funds restriction
- a subset of failed asylum seekers supported under Section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Chen carers
- families holding a BN(O) passport (GOV.UK)
- spousal visa holders
- work visa holders
- student visa holders
- those with no immigration status
Income thresholds
The annual household income thresholds for NRPF groups who can work are:
- £22,700 for families outside of London with 1 child
- £26,300 for families outside of London with 2 or more children
- £31,200 for families within London with 1 child
- £34,800 for families within London with 2 or more children
We determine if a family is within or outside London according to their address.
If you’re living within the local authority of one of the 33 London boroughs, the London thresholds will apply. If you do not live within one of these local authorities, the outer London thresholds will apply.
Read GOV.UK’s guidance on free school meals to families with NRPF
Free meals for children and young people during school holidays
Free meals and support are available during every school holiday for children and young people living in Royal Greenwich.