Check if your child is entitled to Pupil Premium funding.

Important Update About Free School Meals

The Government has changed the rules about who can get Free School Meals (FSM). As a result, some families may see changes to their child’s FSM status from September 2026.

What is changing?

From September 2026, all children whose families receive Universal Credit may be able to get Free School Meals, if they attend an eligible school. Three Bridges is an eligible school!

There will be two types of Free School Meals:

Targeted FSM

Children get a free school meal.
The school receives extra funding to help support them.
They may also be able to get other support, such as holiday activities and help with school transport.

Expanded FSM

Children get a free school meal.
The school does not receive extra funding.
They cannot get extra support linked to Targeted FSM, such as holiday activity programmes or school transport.

What if my child's status changes?

West Sussex County Council has checked the eligibility of all children who currently receive Free School Meals.

If your child's status has changed to Expanded FSM, the school will email you this week.

What should parents do?

If you receive Universal Credit, we strongly encourage you to apply for Free School Meals, as more children may now qualify.

Need help?

Please contact the Free School Meals Team:

📞 0330 222 5555
📧 fsm@westsussex.gov.uk

What are Free School Meals

The Government pays for all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 to receive a hot school lunch – regardless of the family’s income. These are known as Universal Infant Free School Meals. 

Any child in Years Reception to 6 may be entitled to Free School Meals and Pupil Premium funding, if you are in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:

· Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)

· 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 state Pension Credit

· Child Tax Credit (provided you're not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more £16,190)

· Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.

​Apply online to check if you are eligible for Free School Meals and Pupil Premium

Free school meals - West Sussex County Council

To find out if you are eligible, please apply using the online form on the West Sussex County Council website.  The Council will notify you and the school if you are entitled to Free School Meals. If you are entitled, the school will also receive Pupil Premium funding for your child, which can help to pay for your child’s school trips, breakfast club and after school clubs and buying school uniform.

 

How the school uses Pupil Premium funding

The Pupil Premium is allocated to schools for children of statutory school age from low-income families who are known to be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) in both mainstream and non-mainstream settings: to children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months and to children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces.

This will also include pupils eligible for FSM at any point in the last six years (known as the Ever 6 FSM measure).

Schools are able to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. However as a school we will be held accountable for how we have used the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families.  Please see the reports below to see how this money has been spent across the school.

Please read our Pupil Premium policy here. 

The Pupil premium strategy statement will be reviewed December 2026.