Free school meals

Applications for free school meals can be made online. Please read the information on this page fully before you submit an application.

Applications for free school meals can be made online. Please read the information on this page fully before you submit an application.

Please wait until your child has been allocated a school place and are attending full days before you apply for free school meals.

We accept Free School Meals applications for the following schools.  If your child’s school is not listed, please apply to the school directly.

This list is valid as of 7 May 2025

  • Badger Hill Academy
  • Belmont Primary School
  • Chaloner Primary School
  • Coatham Church of England Primary School
  • Errington Primary School
  • Freebrough Academy
  • Galley Hill Primary School
  • Green Gates Primary School
  • Highcliffe Primary School
  • Hummersea Primary School
  • Ings Farm Primary School
  • John Emmerson Batty Primary School
  • Kirkleatham Hall School
  • Lakes Primary School
  • Lingdale Primary School
  • Lockwood Primary School
  • New Marske Primary School
  • Newcomen Primary School
  • Normanby Primary School
  • Nunthorpe Academy
  • Nunthorpe Primary Academy
  • Ormesby Primary School
  • Outwood Academy Bydales
  • Outwood Academy Normanby
  • Outwood Academy Redcar
  • Overfields Primary School
  • Riverdale Primary School
  • Rye Hills Academy
  • Skelton Primary School
  • South Bank Community Primary School
  • St Peter's Church of England Primary School
  • Teesville Academy
  • Westgarth Primary School
  • Wheatlands Primary School
  • Whitecliffe Academy
  • Wilton Primary Academy
  • Zetland Primary School

Eligibility for Free School Meals

Free school meals are available to pupils in receipt of, or whose parent/carer are in receipt of, one or more of the qualifying benefits below:

  • Universal Credit - (providing 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 Jobseekers Allowance
  • Income Related Employment and Support Allowance
  • The Guaranteed Element of Pension Credit
  • Support under part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Child Tax Credit, provided you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by HMRC
  • A 'Run-On' of Working Tax Credit - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

If you or your partner are currently in receipt of Working Tax Credit, regardless of your income, you will not qualify.

Nursery children are entitled to free meals if they meet all of the following criteria:

  • Their parent/carer receive one of the benefits listed above
  • The child receives education before and after the lunch time period
  • The child is in a maintained nursery or an academy nursey. (Not a private nursery)

Post-16 students can receive free school meals if they attend a sixth form in a Redcar & Cleveland School.

If your child attends a further education college, they should apply for free meals by contacting the college directly.

Universal Infant Free School Meals

All children in reception, year one and year two, are automatically entitled to free school meals.

Parents/carers who are on benefits and meet the above criteria are encouraged to still apply for free school meals as this attracts additional funding known as Pupil Premium. This funding will help increase your child's attainment and provide valuable support within the school.

Transitional Protection

In accordance with government legislation, during the period 1 April 2018 – 31st March 2025, Free School Meal recipients had protected entitlement regardless of any changes to their financial circumstances.  

Transitional Protection ended on 31 March 2025. 

Claims received after that date will be assessed on a term-by-term basis to check household circumstances and to establish whether there is continuing entitlement to Free School Meals. 

If you claimed before 31 March 2025 and your child already receives Free School Meals, this will continue on a protected basis until the end of Year 6 at Primary School or if they are at Secondary School until the end of year 11. 

  • Children currently receiving Transitional Protection will receive it until the end of their school phase i.e. until the end of Primary Year 6 if they are at primary school or Secondary Education Year 11 if they are at secondary school.
  • Children currently receiving Transitional Protection in another local authority area moving to a school in the Redcar and Cleveland Area will have their Transitional Protection transferred until the end of Primary Year 6 or Secondary Education Year 11.
  • Children currently receiving Transitional Protection that are temporarily absent from school e.g. due to exclusion or home tutoring, and then re-attend will continue to receive Transitional Protection whilst at school until the end of Primary Year 6 or Secondary Education Year 11.
  • Transitional Protection will not apply to younger sibling children who are about to starting school for the first time after 25 March 2025, even if an older sibling in the household is already receiving the protection. A claim for Free School Meals will need to be made for those children. 

How to Apply

You can apply online with our digital form. Please apply by clicking here or you can also print a copy of the Free School Meals application form below:

Completed application forms can either be returned to your child's school, by emailing educationalbenefits@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk or by post to:

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council, Department of Corporate Resources,
Educational Benefits, Redcar & Cleveland House, Kirkleatham Street, Redcar, Yorkshire, TS10 1RT

If you are unable to apply online or print the form, please contact us on 01642 774774 where a member of the Educational Benefits Team can complete an application form over the telephone with you.

Free school meals claims cannot be backdated. There is a legal requirement for an application to be made before a claim can be processed and awarded.

We are now able to check your entitlement to free school meals via a secure government website which links to your benefit provider. We may only need to contact you to provide evidence if the eligibility checking service has not been able to verify your entitlement.

No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)

Free school meals eligibility has now been permanently extended to children in all households with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), subject to maximum income thresholds.

If you believe you are part of this group, please download and complete the form below. Please note, depending on your circumstances, additional documentation will be required to process your application.

Processing your claim

Your free school meals claim will be processed within three working days of receiving a valid application. Once processed you will be notified of the outcome.

If your child is awarded free school meals, their school will be notified and will make its own arrangements for notifying the dinner service staff.

If your circumstances change, you should notify us at educationalbenefits@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk or the school as soon as possible to tell us of any changes, for example:

  • If you start work or have a change in benefit
  • If you change address
  • If your child changes school
  • If your child moves address and is no longer living with you

Personal Data

When you apply for free school meals, we will use and process your information for the purposes of your application, and to help support your child's teaching and learning.

To learn more about how we process your data, please go to Corporate Privacy Notice.

For more information, you can call (01642) 774774 or email educationalbenefits@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk