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The short answer is no.

Pupil Premium Plus is extra funding intended to help close the achievement gap between children who are or were looked after and those who never were in the care system. The funds can be used in a variety of ways: academic support, helping them to develop self-confidence, play a musical instrument, support them socially - anything that would potentially help close the achievement gap. Personally, I have a lot of questions around how schools use this money, but that is another matter.

Free school meals are for children who come from poor families to make sure these children have a meal a day. Adopters usually don't fall into that demographic.

Hey, if you're child was looked after (in social care or kinship order) for anytime after the age of 2, even for one day, then you can claim free school meals (fsm). This is even if your income is above the current threshold. If a child is eligible for fsm then they will receive it until at least Year 6. It's worth checking as if they have fsm status as you will receive a food voucher during the holidays and they can go to HAF camps for free during the holidays if so. Please note, there are other factors for families to be eligible for fsm other than income. I claimed this for my son and has helped a lot!

https://www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/blog/benefits-entitlements/free-school-meals-eligibility-and-how-to-apply

https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium/pupil-premium

Hi NM,

Eligibility for free school meals isn't related to PP+. Children who are eligible for free school meals (or who have ever been on fsm in the past 6 years) attract PP to their schools, but this is separate from PP+ and schools can't receive both types of pupil premium for the same child, so an adopted child will attract PP+ instead of PP as it is worth more money each year.

Free school meal eligibility is covered on the gov.uk website here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals

Becky