The School Catering service provides hot and cold meals. 

For safeguarding purposes, your child must stay on the school site at break and lunch time.  We have a range of food options available for students in school, including vegetarian and vegan options.

The school operates a cashless system and all payments for food are done via your child’s MCAS account where you are also able to view transactions.

At break time, students can purchase snacks and at lunchtime, students can choose from hot and cold food options. We really encourage students to have a healthy nutritious meal at lunchtime as this can have a positive impact on their learning and wider health. If students chose to bring packed lunches, we would encourage healthy choices to be made.

Students should bring a refillable water bottle to school (filled up at home). We have water coolers available in the halls to allow students to refill their bottles at break and lunch. Energy drinks are banned in school – the high levels of caffeine can be detrimental to the health of students. We strongly encourage all parents/carers to plan healthy meals with their children, encouraging them to make healthy choices.

Cafe VI

Cafe VI is our popular on site cafe for Sixth Form students and staff. The cafe serves freshly made sandwiches, baked potatoes, scones, tray bakes and fantastic freshly ground bistro coffees and hot drinks. See the menu here:

Free School Meals

Did you know … just registering your child for Free School Meals means that the school gets extra money?

The Government gives money to schools to help children from lower income families do their very best. This funding is called a ‘Pupil Premium’.   

From April 2026, for every child registered as Pupil Premium, The King Edward VI School gets £1,100. This additional money is used to provide additional resources and staffing to support Pupil Premium students. More details can be found on our website.

If you are registered for Free School Meals you could also get help with the cost of uniform, equipment and school trips. Please register to make sure your child does not miss out.

If your child is eligible for Free School Meals, even just for one day, it could entitle them, in the future to the Post 16 Bursary. This is a regular weekly payment made to students to support them in Sixth Form or College. Being in receipt of FSMs currently, or at any point in the previous six years would also support students accessing many Widening Participation schemes with universities; this can include reduced entry criteria and/or bursaries.

Changes from September 2026

Expanded entitlement for families on Universal Credit

From the start of academic year 2026 to 2027, all children in households receiving Universal Credit will be entitled to free school meals, regardless of earnings.

There will be two types of eligibility:

  • Targeted FSM: for households in receipt of universal credit earning £7,400 or less (includes free meals and additional support such as pupil premium).  Other educational entitlements such as the Holiday Activities and Food program (HAF) and the ‘extended rights’ element of school travel assistance, will also continue to be based on targeted FSM.

  • Expanded FSM: for households in receipt of universal credit earning above £7,400 (free meals only).

Families with no recourse to public funds may also be eligible for Targeted FSM subject to meeting separate criteria.

Parents/carers who meet the eligibility for targeted FSM, should still apply for FSM as we will receive additional funding, and parents/carers can access the additional entitlements such as the Holiday Activities and Food Programme.

End of transitional protections

Since 2018, some children have continued to receive free school meals, even if their family circumstances changed during the rollout of Universal Credit. This is referred to as transitional protections. Now that entitlement is being expanded to all families on Universal Credit, these protections will end at the end of the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

This means:

  • Some children may no longer be eligible from the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year if their family does not receive Universal Credit or another qualifying benefit

  • Eligibility will now be based on current benefit status

What you need to do

If your child currently receives free school meals – you do not need to reapply. Northumberland County Council will check eligibility, using the details already held and inform you of any changes to your FSM eligibility.

If your child does not currently receive free school meals – you should complete a new application for free school meals online through Northumberland County Council`s Citizen Portal. You can do this now, even if your child is not due to start school until September. These applications will be checked during July, and again in September in case eligibility changes within that time.

How to make an application/check eligibility

The link on the Northumberland County Council website will direct parents\carers to the Citizen Portal log-in page. Parents\carers who already have their own log-in can sign in and make a free school meals application. New applicants must first register on the Portal before they can access the free school meals application.

Eligibility will be checked, and parents\carers will receive confirmation of whether the application is successful, and their child(ren) is eligible for free school meals.

Or alternatively, the application is unsuccessful, because

  • they are ineligible

  • it has not been possible to check eligibility, and they should try again

  • the application is incomplete

  • further information is required

Northumberland County Council will inform us of the application outcome. If you have any questions about free school meals eligibility, or the NCC portal, please contact the NCC free school meals team on 0345 600 6400.

If you would like help registering for FSMs you can contact Mandy Gilholm on 01670 515415.