Free School Meals during COVID-19 - Voucher system

Dear Parents / Carers

Free School Meals during COVID-19

I hope you are all making the most of the holiday and enjoyed the Easter weekend particularly under the circumstances. I really do hope that you are all keeping well during this strange time and are making the most of your time as a family.

As you all know the school remains closed to all but a small number of children, however we have been very pleased to help our community in many ways. One of these ways it to provide food parcels for those who are eligible to Free School Meals and who have requested these. These started as daily packed lunches for  those who needed this service. We have now moved over to weekly food bags which are either delivered to families or picked up from the school by families if they are able.

It is extremely important to us all that we continue to support all our families as much as we can. One way of doing this, is by ensuring that your child continues to receive Free School Meals whilst the school is closed. Some of you will already know that the government have now launched a voucher scheme and as a result of this there are now two options available to those families whose children are in receipt of Free School Meals at school. These are as follows:

Free School Meal Food Bags

Havering Catering Services have been providing weekly food bags for pupils eligible for Free School Meals, which are distributed each Wednesday. This provision will continue to be available for those who wish to receive them. Each bag is for one child and includes:

·         1 x Princess Tuna Chunks in Brine (185g)

·         1 x Baked Beans (Heinz 400g)

·         2 x Cheese Triangles

·         3 x Jacket Potatoes

·         1 x Loaf of Bread (Wholemeal)

·         5 x Pieces of Fruit - Apple, Pear, Banana or Satsuma

·         1 x 3 Long Life Yoghurts (mixed flavours)

·         2 x Assorted Biscuits

or

Free School Meal Supermarket Vouchers

The government has now developed a national scheme to provide supermarket vouchers, available as e-gift cards online to families eligible for Free School Meals. Please be aware that this does require parents / carers to have a working email address. The vouchers are to the value of £15 per child each week and can be redeemed in the following supermarkets:

·         Morrisons

·         Tesco

·         Sainsbury’s

·         Asda

·         Waitrose

·         Marks and Spencer

Once families have received their voucher, via email, they will be able to redeem them in-store at the selected retailer by either:

·         presenting the voucher on a smartphone or tablet

·         presenting a paper copy of the voucher

Families can select the most appropriate food and drink for their child. However, please be aware that vouchers should not be redeemed for any age-restricted items, such as alcohol, cigarettes or lottery tickets.

So what now?

We recognise that families will have different preferences regarding this, therefore we are providing you with the opportunity to choose which method you would like to use – food bags for collection or delivery each Wednesday (as is the current provision) or e gift card/voucher sent to your email address. It is not possible to select different options each week, therefore you must choose the most appropriate method for your family as a whole.

Please be aware that food bags will continue this week (tomorrow) for those who have ordered them. We envisage vouchers being distributed the week beginning 20^th April but this does depend on the government system which, we have been told, is experiencing a number of issues.

Please make your choice and provide us with the information below. As far as is possible, please return this to school by 3pm today (Tuesday) so that we can plan. Please return the following information to:

office@clockhouse.havering.sch.uk

Your child’s / children’s name/s:

Year group/s:

Your child is eligible for free school meals: Yes / No (please delete as applicable)

You would like a food bag for your child from the week beginning 20^th April: Yes / No (please delete as applicable)

You would like a £15 voucher sent to your email account for your child from the week beginning 20^th April: Yes / No (please delete as applicable)

Your name:

Your email address:

The best number to contact you on:

In very exceptional circumstances and you do not have a working email address we may be able to help you. Please contact the school directly about this by phone (01708 745972), please only use option 3 or 5 when you phone (please call before 3.30pm).

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ

These options are only available for children who are recorded on our system as being eligible for Free School Meals. This is different to the Universal Free School Meals which enables children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 to have dinners with us.

If you are not sure if you are eligible for this provision or indeed if your circumstances have changed and you wish to check, please do not hesitate to contact us by phone as above and we will do all we can to help you.

These are extraordinary times and as always I thank you for your support and help at this difficult time. As always please do not hesitate to contact me should you need to.

Kind regards, keep safe

Mrs Savidge