Important Follow-up: Free School Meals (FSM) Eligibility Re-checks and Next Steps

Thank you for taking the time to read and act on the recent communication, Important: Free School Meals (FSM) changes and actions required for 2026-2027. 

We appreciate your continued support in preparing for these important changes and for helping to ensure a smooth transition for your pupils and families. 

As outlined previously, transitional protections will end, and eligibility will need to be reassessed. We are now moving into the next phase of delivery. This update applies to all Local Authority maintained schools who are automatically supported by the Free School Meals service, and also subscribing academies. 

Annual re-checks - Update 

We are aiming to undertake the new annual FSM eligibility re-check using updated software, enabling bulk reassessment of applicants. Our intention is to complete this activity as soon as possible in July, subject to system availability, to support schools in planning for September and to allow sufficient time ahead of the school census. Further updates will be shared once timings are confirmed. 

Please note that this re-check will include: 

• All current FSM recipients for whom we hold information 
• Parents who applied from 01 June 2026 and received a not eligible outcome, who we will also reassess under the new eligibility criteria 

This approach will enable us to provide schools with clear and comprehensive data on the different tiers of FSM eligibility across your families. 

Feedback from schools has consistently highlighted the value of having clear, structured information to support communication with parents. In line with this and recognising that schools hold the most up-to-date contact details for their families, we will provide you with the outcome of the re-checks via the Schools Access Module (SAM), alongside appropriate communication tools. These tools will support you in sharing outcomes with parents, with a clear route for any queries to be directed back to the Free School Meals service. 

Actions for schools 

Once the re-check process has been completed, the following steps will apply: 

1. Confirmation of re-check completion 

We will contact schools directly via email to confirm when the re-checking process for your school has been completed. 

This notification will confirm that your data is ready, and that you can proceed with the steps outlined below. 

2. Accessing results in SAM 

The Schools Access Module (SAM) will display the outcomes of the re-check. 

Please refer to the guidance available here: Guide to the updated School Access Module (SAM) (Word doc, 290 KB)

This guidance explains how to: 

• View previous entitlement 
• Identify current entitlement status 
• Navigate the updated eligibility categories 

3. Understanding updated Eligibility status 

Following the re-check, every parent record involved will reflect one of the following outcomes: 

• Eligible - Targeted 
• Eligible - Expanded 
• Not Eligible 

As a result of the introduction of the new eligibility framework, all records re-checked will show a change in status aligned to these categories. 

You will need to identify which of the three eligibility categories each of your parents falls into to share the appropriate communications with them. 

4. Communicating with parents 

Schools should then communicate the updated eligibility status to parents using the appropriate template communications provided below: 

• Eligible - Targeted: FSM School Targeted Template (Word doc, 47 KB)
• Eligible - Expanded: FSM School Expanded Template (Word doc, 47 KB)
• Not Eligible: FSM School Not Eligible Template (Word doc, 39 KB)

These templates are only appropriate for this re-checking exercise and have been designed to: 

• Clearly explain the outcome to parents 
• Provide reassurance and clarity around the changes 
• Make it easier for schools to share results at scale, as the generic template can be shared with all parents that fall in the appropriate category (applying all  due GDPR considerations)
• Signpost parents back to the FSM service for any queries or further support 

5. Supporting information for queries 

We recognise that Department for Education (DfE) guidance is being released at pace and across multiple platforms. To support you, we have consolidated the latest FAQs and guidance into a single, easy-to-use resource for your convenience. 

This will be available here: Consolidated DfE FAQs (Word doc, 71 KB) 

We recognise that this is a significant change and appreciate the vital role schools play in supporting families through this transition. By working together, we can ensure that parents receive clear, consistent information and that all eligible pupils are identified and supported appropriately. 

If you have any questions, please contact the FSM Service at [email protected].