Hardship Support & Free School Meals

For Full Details re Financial Support with books/trips/course materials & uniform please see the diagram in Appendix 2 found within the Trust’s current Charging & Remissions Policy.

This document outlines the different levels of financial support available along with the qualifying criteria needed to apply for them. It is helpful to bear in mind that this policy is updated annually and therefore the degree of support may be revised each year. It is the responsibility of the parent to check the Policy changes each year and to apply for support EACH year as it does not roll over automatically for any student. For clarity Hardship Support only applies up to & including Year 11 whilst Years 12 & 13 have to apply for financial assistance via their application for Bursary when they join Post 16 not the Finance Team.

To see whether you are entitled to Financial Assistance (otherwise known as ‘Hardship Support’ or FSM (Free School Meals) please check the Charging & Remissions Policy. If you believe you satisfy the criteria then for:

 Hardship Support

Click on one or the other Funding Application here below & complete and return the form remembering to attach any supporting documents, then either email your request to bcs-finance@olympustrust.co.uk OR hand deliver your completed form to BSCS Finance Team care of the Front Office who will pass the letter on for you. 

Primary - Funding Application                           Secondary - Funding Application

Free School Meals

To see whether you qualify for Free School Meals please skip to the section at the bottom of this page. Once a student has been confirmed by S Glos Council as qualifying for Free School Meals (NOT ‘universal free school meals’ which is completely different) then they will be automatically approved for support as per the Charging & Remissions policy. 

 Books, Trips, Course Materials & School Uniform

The Charging & Remissions Policy will guide you as to whether you are entitled automatically to support (via FSM) or have to apply for it (via Hardship Support). Once you apply and are then ‘approved’ for that academic year, you will be guided on the % discount you will receive by the various school letters that you receive, as any % discount listed on the reply slip will correspond with a current Charging & Remissions Policy on the school website. Uniform however is slightly different! Firstly our uniform supplier is now Monkhouse Uniform Specialist not Initially Yours. 

Support with Uniform Purchases

The system that the school operates for uniform is that ALL parents / carers must purchase uniform direct from Monkhouse Uniform Specialist which means that everyone, regardless of whether they are entitled to support, must pay in full in the first instance. Once they have done this those parents in receipt of FSM and those approved for & in receipt of Hardship Support must then complete and return a claim form to enable them to get a refund from the school. The amount of the refund is dictated by the level of support that they are entitled to (as per the Charging & Remissions Policy).

These claim forms can be found on the reverse of the funding application forms in the links above. When completing the claim forms parents/cares must be sure to attach all receipts & supporting documentation and send these in an envelope clearly marked for the attention of the BSCS Finance Office. This can be handed in to the schools Main Reception. If you are giving the envelope to a student to hand in on your behalf please ask them to hand this in at the Student Window – all students know exactly where this is. 

Free School Meals

Am I eligible for Free School Meals?

You are eligible for free school meals if you receive:

• Income Support

• Job Seekers Allowance (Income based - not Contribution based)

• Child Tax Credit , but not entitled to Working Tax Credit and your annual household income (as assessed by the Inland Revenue) does not exceed £16,190.00.

• Support under Part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999

• The "Guaranteed Element" of Pension Credit

FSM requests be made on-line at www.southglos.gov.uk/advice-and-benefits/benefits/free-school-meals. 

For more information or a copy of the Application Form please telephone Children & Young People Information Service on 01454 868008.