Free school meals — guidance for schools change log

Free school meals — guidance for schools: what changed on 29 September 2026

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What changed: The guidance includes a one-off extension for completing FSM eligibility checks for the autumn 2026 school census and adds a link to funding arrangements for school-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools.

Who is affected: School leaders, school staff, governing bodies, local-authority-maintained schools, academies, free schools, non-maintained special schools, and local authorities.

Applies to: unclear

GOV.UK change note: Updated the guidance document to add information about the one-off extension until 2 November 2026 for completing free school meals eligibility checks for the autumn 2026 school census. Added a link to the funding arrangements for school-based nurseries and maintained nursery schools.

Read the official GOV.UK document. Check the current guidance before acting.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Action needed: Available to community members.

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