1. Introduction
We pays the common toddler free college meals (UIFSM) grant 2023 to 2024 beneath Part 14 of the Schooling Act 2002. Beneath part 16 of that act, the Secretary of State lays down the next phrases and situations on which we give help in relation to the UIFSM grant payable to colleges and native authorities for the monetary yr starting 1 April 2023.
2. Funding charges and allocations
Every meal taken by an eligible pupil attracts £2.53. An allocation assumes that pupils will take 190 college meals over an educational yr, offering £480.70 per eligible pupil, as counted beneath.
2.1 Provisional allocation
For the tutorial yr 2023 to 2024, we are going to make a provisional allocation to colleges that’s the complete variety of eligible meals taken in 2022 to 2023 multiplied by £2.53 x 190 days and by seven-twelfths.
2.2 Ultimate allocation
We calculate a closing allocation for educational yr 2023 to 2024 in June 2024 utilizing the variety of pupils recorded as taking a meal in yr 1 and yr 2 within the October 2023, and January 2024, college censuses.
We then subtract these pupils identified to be eligible without spending a dime college meals (FSM) in the identical censuses, who’re taking a meal. This determine is then divided by 2 to provide the typical variety of eligible UIFSM pupils in years 1 and a pair of.
The variety of reception pupils used would be the larger of both:
the variety of pupils recorded as taking a meal within the October 2023 and January 2024 college censuses, minus these pupils taking a meal identified to be eligible for FSM in the identical censuses, divided by 2 (this provides the typical variety of eligible UIFSM pupils in reception for educational yr 2023 to 2024) or
the variety of pupils recorded as taking a meal in January 2024 college censuses, minus these pupils taking a meal identified to be eligible for FSM in the identical census.
We are going to depend twin registered pupils the place they took their meal on the census days, even whether it is their subsidiary setting.
The place a faculty doesn’t document pupils in yr teams, we are going to use these aged 4, 5, or 6, on the related college censuses to calculate the allocations.
We embrace pupils on the choice provision census positioned in impartial faculties within the provisional and closing allocations to native authorities.
3. Allocations to colleges
The Schooling and Abilities Funding Company (ESFA) pays the UIFSM grant on to academies and free faculties open on or earlier than 1 Might 2023.
Native authorities should allocate the quantities set out within the connected schedule of allocations to every maintained college, and any that convert to academy standing after 1 Might 2023; they can’t maintain the grant centrally.
A college might agree to make use of their UIFSM grant allocation to contribute to central native authority provision, however native authorities should allocate the grant to every college to allow them to make that call.
We allocate the grant to colleges federated, or to be federated, beneath the provisions of Part 24 of the Schooling Act 2002, in the course of the monetary yr starting 1 April 2023 as in the event that they weren’t federated.
Within the case of a faculty which closes earlier than 1 September 2023, the native authority mustn’t allocate the grant to the varsity.
Within the case of a faculty which closes between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024, the native authority will allocate the grant for the proportion of that interval that the varsity is open.
A college which opens between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024, and receives all of the pupils from 2, or extra, faculties which have closed, will obtain a grant equal to the overall which might be payable to the colleges had they remained open. The grant will probably be proportionate to the interval of 1 September 2023 to 31 March 2024, for which the varsity is open.
The place a faculty has pupils transferred from a closing college in the course of the interval 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2024, the native authority ought to allocate the grant that will have been paid to the closing college, had it remained open, to the varsity receiving these pupils; the varsity ought to agree the quantity allotted.
The grant is payable regardless of the existence of any deficit referring to the expenditure of the varsity’s price range share. UIFSM grant will not be a part of faculties’ price range shares and isn’t a part of the person college’s price range. It’s not included within the minimal funding assure calculations.
4. Phrases on which UIFSM grant is allotted to colleges
The grant helps faculties in delivering the authorized requirement to supply free college meals, assembly the varsity meals requirements, to all their reception, yr 1 and yr 2 pupils. Topic to assembly this authorized responsibility, faculties might spend the grant for the needs of the varsity; that’s to say for the tutorial good thing about pupils registered at that faculty, or for the advantage of pupils registered at different faculties.
They might additionally spend it on group services, for instance companies whose provision furthers any charitable goal for the advantage of pupils on the college or their households, or individuals who dwell or work within the college’s locality.
Faculties should not have to spend your entire grant within the monetary yr starting 1 April 2023; they could carry ahead some or the entire grant.
5. Various provision pupils
We are going to allocate UIFSM grant to native authorities for every pupil recorded as aged 4, 5, and 6, on the January 2023 census, who will not be recorded as eligible for a free college meal, and the place the native authority positioned the pupil in an impartial college.
The native authority ought to spend the quantity allotted for such pupils by the top of the tutorial yr 2023 to 2024. They will solely spend it on offering a free college meal to pupils not recorded as eligible for a free college meal, and aged 4, 5, and 6.
6. Cost preparations
The Secretary of State pays the grant to native authorities as follows:
Month Proportion of grant June 2023 Seven-twelfths of every college’s provisional allocation. Faculties that have been academies on 1 Might 2023 will obtain their UIFSM grant direct from ESFA in July 2023. June 2024 The ultimate allocation for every maintained college as at 1 June 2024, minus the quantity of the allocation paid in June 2023. Any college that converts to academy standing after 1 June 2023, and by 1 June 2024, will obtain the remainder of its allocation direct from ESFA in July 2024.
Non-converter academies and free faculties, which open after 1 April 2023, and by 31 August 2024, will obtain their grant direct from ESFA.
The place a faculty’s closing allocation is lower than the provisional cost made in June 2023, we are going to deduct the distinction from grant cost in June 2024.
7. Certification
Native authorities should certify that they’ve handed on the correct quantity of funding to colleges or, the place they’ve spent funding centrally, that they’ve spent it in keeping with the situations of grant. We are going to concern a certification kind in April 2024.
8. Variation
The Secretary of State might range the premise for the allocation from these set out above, if the varsity or native authority requests it.
9. Overpayments
Any overpayment of grant should be repaid to the Secretary of State.
10. Additional info
The Secretary of State, and the Comptroller and Auditor Common, might examine the books, information and different paperwork that relate the recipient’s accounts. Beneath Part 6 of the Nationwide Audit Act 1983, the Comptroller and Auditor Common might study whether or not the authority or college spent the premium in an environment friendly and cost-effective method.
The recipient ought to present any info the Secretary of State requires so as decide whether or not the authority or college has complied with the situations on this steering.
11. Different situations
The Secretary of State might require the reimbursement of the entire or any a part of the grant if the authority or college fails to comply with the situations on this steering.
