School Meals & FSM entitlement information

Hot meals - Aspens

From September 2025, our school kitchen was taken over by Aspens.

Aspens Services are a market leading contract catering company specialising in school food.

Aspens only work in the education sector so they know what their customers want. Mixing this knowledge with an understanding of what’s hot in the food world sparks creativity and excitement in our chefs. Aspen's kitchens provide delicious home cooked food each day and cater for individual dietary requirements (see section at bottom of this page).

Aspen's make sure that their Food Festival menus are packed with comfort dishes and, at the same time, help pupils to take their first steps with new tastes to explore.

Aspens don’t just provide food, they play their part to educate children and raise awareness about nutrition, food and where it comes from, so that they can make informed and mindful choices. Feeding our future.

Please find information below by clicking these links from Aspens:

Aspens family information pack

Aspens Lunch Menu (April 2026 - October 2026)

If you have any queries or feedback regarding menus then please contact Aspens directly via this email address: info@aspens-services.com

Newsletters - Aspens

News from the Kitchen - Aspens School Newsletter Summer 2026

SWIFT KITCHEN - LAUNCHING 26TH JANUARY 2026

→ Swift Kitchen Guide for Parents/Carers

→ Swift Kitchen information video to set up and use your account

Packed lunch from home

If your child does not want the school lunches on offer that day, then please send them in with a packed lunch in a named lunch box.

It is important that packed lunches do not contain nuts or any items with nuts in as we have severe nut allergies at Stoneham Park Primary Academy. This includes nutella, nut chocolate spreads, crepes with nut spreads, peanut butter, cereal bars containing nuts, cakes containing nuts and many more.

For some healthy lunchbox ideas, please click here.

Is my child entitled to a free school meal?

fsm from september 2026.pdf

All pupils in Year R, 1 and 2 are entitled to receive a free school meal each day under the government's Universal Infant Free School Meal programme (UFSM).

Pupils in Year 3-6 will be required to pay for school meals, in advance of eating the meal, ordering before 8.30am each day via Swift Kitchen. Meals currently cost £3.20 per day (as at July 2026)

Families on low incomes can apply for Free School Meals (FSM) - information below.

Changes to Free School Meals and Pupil Premium Funding from September 2026

The Government has announced changes to Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility from September 2026. These changes may affect your child and could mean that more families are entitled to free school meals.

What is changing?

From September 2026, all children in households receiving Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals, regardless of household income.

This replaces the previous income limit of £7,400 per year, meaning many more families will be eligible.

Key information

1) Free School Meals

There will now be two types of Free School Meals:

Targeted FSM – for lower-income families and linked to additional school funding (Pupil Premium).
Expanded FSM – for other families receiving Universal Credit. Children will receive free meals, but schools may not receive Pupil Premium funding.

2) Pupil Premium Funding

Pupil Premium is additional funding provided to schools to support disadvantaged pupils.

While more children will qualify for free school meals from September 2026, not all newly eligible pupils will attract Pupil Premium funding.

3) End of Transitional Protection

Since 2018, some children have continued to receive free school meals even if their family's circumstances changed.

This protection will end in July 2026. From September 2026, eligibility will be based on a family's current circumstances.

What does this mean for families?

If you receive Universal Credit, you may now qualify for free school meals.
Some families currently receiving FSM may need to reapply or check their eligibility.
Even if your child is already receiving free meals through Universal Infant Free School Meals (Reception, Year 1 or Year 2), it is important to apply if you are eligible, as this may help the school access additional funding.

What do you need to do?

If you think you may be eligible, please apply for Free School Meals using this link: Online FSM Application
If your child currently receives FSM, we recommend checking your eligibility before September 2026.
If you are unsure whether you qualify, please contact the school office and we will be happy to help.

Why is this important?

Registering for Free School Meals can provide free lunches for your child and may also help the school secure additional funding to support pupils through:

Academic support and interventions
Enrichment activities
Pastoral and wellbeing support

We understand these changes may be confusing and will share further information as it becomes available. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Click here for Eligibility Checker

Special Diets

Special diets are an integral part of Aspen's catering provision, whether as a result of an ethical or religious belief or a food intolerance or allergy. To register any special diets as a requirement please complete and return the special diets form to the school as soon as possible.

Please click these links for more information:

Stoneham Park Academy