School meals

Primary schools and special schools

The school meal service offers all primary and special schools with a multi choice menu. A school meal costs £2.00.

Every effort is made to cater for children with special dietary requirements.

Contact the school directly for information about dietary requirements and paying for school meals.

    Secondary schools

    Each secondary school manages their own lunchtime service, so you will need to contact the school directly for dietary and nutritional information.

    Contact the school for information on how to pay for school meals. 

    Free school meals

    Apply

    You need to complete an application form and submit it to Access Oldham.

    You do not need to re-apply for free school meals every year unless your circumstances change.

    Eligibility

    You can apply for free school meals if:

    1) Your child attends a school maintained by a local education authority and you and your child live in the Oldham borough. (If you do not live in Oldham and your child attends a local authority maintained school in Oldham please contact your local council for advice).

    2) You receive any of the following:

    • Income Support (IS)
    • Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA)
    • An income-related employment and support allowance
    • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
    • Child Tax Credit (provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income (as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) that does not exceed the current year’s level
    • The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
    • Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after your employment finished, or after you start to work less than 16 hours per week.

    Additionally:

    • You, as the parent or guardian, must Receive Child Benefit for the child you are responsible for.
    • Children who receive IS or IBJSA in their own right are also entitled to receive free school meals.
    • Children who receive “education suitable for children who have not attained compulsory school age” will still need to satisfy the additional requirement of “receiving education both before and after the lunch period”, before being eligible to receive free school meals.

    If your circumstances change

    If your or your child’s circumstances change free school meals may be withdrawn, the most common reasons include:

    • The parent or guardian ceases to receive a qualifying benefit
    • The child leaves school
    • The family move out of the borough
    • The child goes onto packed lunches (long term)
    • The child is absent from school for a long period of time

    All changes of circumstance must be reported by the claimant (schools can also report changes of circumstance).