Financial Assistance

If you currently receive one of the following benefits you may also be eligible to receive free school meals: 

• Income Support

• Income-based Jobseekers 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 (as long as you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and you don't get more than £16,190 a year)

• Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

• Universal Credit (with annual earned income of no more than £7,400 after tax and not including any benefits you get).

If you currently get free school meals but you no longer receive Universal Credit or earn above the threshold, your child will continue to get free school meals until the end of their phase of education (for example, primary or secondary).

If you applied on or after 1 April 2025 – we check new applications every month. Anyone no longer eligible will stop getting free school meals. We’ll contact you if this is the case.

The system for applying for Free School Meals is straightforward. Please visit Hertfordshire County Council's website Free School Meals page here to check your eligibility and to then apply if eligible. Your application will be processed within seven days. Alternatively phone the customer service centre on 0300 123 4048 and the rest will be done for you. 

For any further enquiries or information about financial assistance, please contact Mrs C Beavis, Assistant Headteacher,  01923 284169 or email enquiries@scd.herts.sch.uk .

You may be aware of the government scheme  for the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) which is additional funding given to schools for use in raising the attainment of disadvantaged children and in closing the achievement gap between them and their peers. At St Clement Danes we use this additional funding for a variety of things including clubs and trips, participation in extracurricular activities such as music or LAMDA tuition, one to one support for children as well as additional learning resources and equipment as and when required. Research shows that  children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to underachieve; however, we want to reassure you that we do everything possible to ensure this is not the case in our school.  

Your child will be eligible for PP funding if: 

• Your child is or was eligible for free school meals at any time in the last 6 years 

• You are responsible for a looked after child 

• Your child is no longer looked after by a local authority by means of adoption 

• You are in the armed services

Parents are always contacted discretely and in confidence about PP funding. Please contact Mrs C Beavis, Assistant Headteacher, if you have any queries about this.