Free School Meals

From September 2026, more children and young people will be able to receive a free meal at school. This is because free school meal eligibility is expanding to include children from all households receiving Universal Credit.

If your child is already in receipt of free school meals and you believe that this entitlement will continue under the new rules, please ensure you notify the council that your child will be attending The Blue Coat School to ensure their provision continues. Please do this by logging into your portal or by contacting Oldham Council via email: [email protected].

Many more families may now be eligible, so we are asking parents/carers to apply if they think this could apply to them. It could save your family money each week and help make sure your child can have a meal in school if they want one.

If you wish to check if your child is eligible, please visit https://apply.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims and submit an application.

Enquiries are confidential, and free school meals do not affect any other benefits that you might receive.

Children in receipt of free school meals will use facial recognition or a pin at the till in the exact same way as their peers, so there is no distinction in how any child accesses the school restaurant.