Schemes to assist low income families
This chapter informs the Board of Governors of the assistance available to low income families in the form of free school meals and school uniform grants and the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) Scheme which applies to pupils aged 16+ in a grant-aided school.
In this chapter:
Role of the Board of Governors
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The role of the Board of Governors is to ensure that appropriate arrangements operate within the school with regard to these assistance schemes.
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17.1. Free school meals are provided to ensure pupils of 'non-working' and low income families have access to a nutritionally balanced meal, suitable as the main meal of the day. A pupil is entitled to free school meals where
i. the pupil or the parent is in receipt of Income Support or Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance; or
ii. the pupil or the parent is in receipt of Income related Employment and Support Allowance; or
iii. the parent receives the Child Tax Credit; and is ineligible for the Working Tax Credit because he/she works less than 16 hours per week; and has an annual taxable income not exceeding an amount as determined by the Department; or
iv. the parent is in receipt of Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after their employment finishes or after they start to work less than 16 hours per week; or
v. the parent receives the Working Tax Credit and has an annual taxable income, not exceeding an amount as determined by the Department and the pupil is in a full-time nursery place or attends primary school*; or
vi. the parent receives the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit; or
vii. the pupil has a statement of special educational needs and is designated to require a special diet; or
viii. the pupil is a boarder at a special school; or
ix. the pupil is the child of an asylum seeker supported by the Home Office National Asylum Support Service (NASS)**; or
x. if none of the above apply and a school believes that a child may be a child in need***, that is presenting at school hungry, then the school should provide free school meals to the child. This initial decision, taken by the school at the point of need, must be followed immediately with a referral to the Gateway Team of the local Health and Social Care Trust. The school should continue to provide free school meals upon confirmation of the child’s situation by a social worker from the Trust. If, following initial assessment by the Trust the child is deemed not to be a child in need, provision should cease.
* This criterion is being introduced on a phased basis from September 2010. Those eligible from September 2010 are full-time nursery pupils, Foundation Stage pupils and Key Stage 1 pupils in primary schools and those of equivalent age in special schools. Key Stage 2 pupils will be eligible from September 2011.
** In the interim period, until such time as the result of the application for NASS support is known, education and library boards should arrange to provide free school meals to children of asylum seekers enrolled in schools.
*** Under Article 17 of the Children (NI) Order 1995 (the Children Order) a child is in need if, among other things, he is unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision of personal social services by a Health and Social Care Trust. Article 18 of the Children Order places a general duty on each Trust to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within its area who are in need and to provide a range and level of personal services appropriate to those children's needs.
17.2. Schools should inform the local education and library board as soon as possible of any pupils being provided with free meals under sub-paragraph x and should provide the following details:
- pupil’s name;
- date of birth;
- home address; and
- period through which free meals are to be provided, together with confirmation of the previous school attended if he/she has recently moved school.
The names and national insurance numbers of the pupil’s parents should also be supplied where available.
17.3. The eligibility criteria are contained in the 'Arrangements for the Provision of Milk, Meals and Related Facilities' drawn up by the Department of Education (DE).
17.4. The ELBs are responsible for administering the award of free school meals.
17.5. Chapter 20 of this Guide provides further information in relation to school meals.
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17.6. The Clothing Allowances Scheme, administered by the ELBs, provides assistance towards the cost of specific items of school uniforms and clothing for physical education (PE) for pupils at primary and post primary schools or day pupils at special schools. The eligibility criteria are similar to those used for free school meals.
17.7. The wearing of a school uniform is not governed by legislation but falls to schools to determine. The day-to-day management of schools, including any rules regarding the dress of pupils, is a matter for school principals, subject to any directions that might be given by the Board of Governors.
17.8. Therefore, the Scheme is not intended to cover the full cost of a uniform, rather it is designed to assist those in need with the cost of purchase. The rates of assistance are reviewed annually in line with inflation.
DE extended the scheme to primary school pupils from the 2009/10 school year.
17.9. DE has developed guidance for schools on school uniforms and the importance of taking account of cost, safety, equality and consultation with pupils and parents. The guidance is available on the DE website.
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Eligibility criteria
17.10. Boards of Governors should be aware of the EMA Scheme operating in grant-aided schools with post-16 provision. EMAs are paid to pupils in schools with post-16 provision who
- are aged 16, 17, 18 or 19 years on or between 2nd July in any year and 1st July in the following year;
- come from households where the income is below a level determined by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL);
- are studying full time at school or doing at least 15 hours of guided learning in further education; and
- meet the residence and nationality criteria set out for the EMA Scheme.
17.11. The allowance is intended to help cover the day-to-day costs that students have to meet when they stay on at school or college, such as travel costs, books and equipment for their course. Young people may be entitled to receive their EMA for a maximum of three years (so long as their household income does not rise above the figure determined by DEL).
17.12. The EMA will be available over a four year period for those young people with special educational needs who may need additional time in education to achieve their potential.
17.13. Courses which attract EMAs are:
- GCSEs
- GNVQs
- NVQs
- AS Level/A-Level GCE and
- Basic Skills Level 1
Any course that attracts a training allowance will not be covered by EMA.
Key features of EMAs
17.14. The key features of EMAs include:
- agreed payments are made fortnightly into the pupil’s bank account;
- a bonus is paid to pupils who make satisfactory progress in their learning. This involves the pupil agreeing specific learning goals with their teachers, so that their progress in learning over the term can be assessed;
- if a student has special educational needs, payments can be made to a third party;
- EMAs are paid in addition to other support and benefits provided by the Government. Families do not lose out if a young person receives an EMA;
- EMAs do not affect parents’ or carers’ Child Benefit; and
- EMAs do not affect any money a pupil may earn from a part-time job.
17.15. Schools are responsible for
- implementing the EMA Scheme and ensuring that it operates as efficiently and effectively as possible;
- informing their pupils about the Scheme at the appropriate time;
- advising and assisting pupils applying for an EMA;
- agreeing the EMA Contract Part 1 with the pupil;
- ensuring that pupils sign the Contract;
- informing the Scheme Provider that a pupil has enrolled, signed the EMA Contract Part 1 and is now eligible to receive
- fortnightly payments if he/she attends school or
- a bonus if Part 2 of the Contract has been agreed and signed, and satisfactory progress in learning has been made;
- monitoring attendance robustly;
- informing the Service Provider whether a pupil should receive his/her fortnightly payment or bonus;
- administering an appeals process for pupils who may wish to challenge the reason for the school stopping their payments or bonuses; and
- keeping evidence to support their EMA payment decisions.
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Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986 – Article 51
(Provision of Awards by the Department)
[DEL has executed a Service Level Agreement, delegating the administration and payment of EMA to the Student Loans Company (SLC)]
Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986 – Articles 58 and 59
(Provision of milk, meals and related facilities)
Education and Libraries (NI) Order 1986 – Article 60
(Provision of clothing for pupils attending grant-aided schools or institutions of further education)
Guidance
Arrangements for the Provision of Milk, Meals and Related Facilities – ELBs
http://www.deni.gov.uk/elb_milk_and_meals_arrangements_-_june_2009-2.pdf PDF 118 KB
Arrangements for the Provision of Milk, Meals and Related Facilities – Grant maintained Integrated Schools
http://www.deni.gov.uk/gmi_milk_and_meals_arrangements_-_june_2009-2.pdf PDF 109 KB
Arrangements for the Provision of Milk, Meals and Related Facilities – Voluntary Grammar Schools
http://www.deni.gov.uk/vgs_milk_and_meals_arrangements_-_june_2009-2.pdf PDF 109 KB
Further information about the EMA Scheme can be accessed on the Department for Employment and Learning Website www.delni.gov.uk
Circular 2011/04 – Guidance to Schools on School Uniform Policy
http://www.deni.gov.uk/guidance_to_schools_on_school_uniform_policy_-_circular_2011_04_-_english_version_pdf.pdf
http://www.deni.gov.uk/guidance_to_schools_on_school_uniform_policy_-_circular_2011_04_-_irish_version_pdf.pdf
http://www.deni.gov.uk/guidance_to_schools_on_school_uniform_policy_-_circular_2011_04_-_bilingual_version_pdf.pdf
Scheme for the Provision of Clothing for Pupils Attending Grant-aided Schools or Institutions of Further Education.
(Available from ELBs/ESA)
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