From the 2026 - 2027 academic year, the government is expanding the eligibility criteria for Free School Meals (FSM) to all children in households receiving Universal Credit.
In addition, households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual income of £7,400 or less who register for Free School Meals could raise an additional £1,320 for the school to help fund valuable support like additional teaching staff, resources or after-school activities.
As part of these changes, schools are now required to recheck all pupil FSM eligibility annually. These checks will take place in June and July, in readiness for the new academic year. To support this process, we kindly ask parents/carers to provide the following information. All information will be treated confidentially and stored securely for the duration of the academic year only.
If you are receiving Universal Credit and your child is currently in Years 2-5, please provide evidence of this by downloading a copy of your latest Universal Credit statement and emailing to universalcredit@whitehall.academy
Please note: Pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will continue to receive free meals through the government’s Universal Infant Free School Meal scheme.
If your household income is below £7,400 and your child is in any year group, please provide the following information by email to finance@whitehall.academy
Child’s Name, Child’s Date of birth, parent/carer’s Name, Parent/carer’s Date of birth
Parent/carer’s National Insurance number, Parent/carers Email address, Parent/carers mobile number
It is important that this information is received before the end of the school year, so we would be grateful if you would complete and return as soon as possible.
Thank you
To help you decide whether you should allow your child a day off when poorly, the NHS has produced guidance on common illnesses. This guidance is available via http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Yourchildatschool.
This guidance underpins the Schools decision whether or not the reason provided for absence is to be authorised.
The message given is quite clear: Common or minor illnesses do not necessitate a day off school. Colds, coughs, sore throats and headaches are not acceptable reasons for your child’s absence from school. Absences for these reasons will not be authorised at White Hall Academy.
Please support us by ensuring your child attends school regularly.
e-scooters are becoming more of an issue and a danger for our young people; with instances of children in primary school even owning e-scooters.
Attached is a flyer we have produced about e-scooters, to alert parents and carers on the facts and legalities around e-scooters, and highlight the dangers to your community.
The key points:
- Privately owned e-scooters are illegal to ride on the highway. Ones you can buy from shops like Halfords can only be used on privately owned land, with the landowner’s permission.
- Trial hire scooters can only be ridden by people 18 years plus, with a driver’s licence. These scooters can only be used by the person who created the Tier account.
- The storage of e-scooters at home or on school grounds can cause a fire risk with lithium battery fires.
- Riding an e-scooter puts the rider at much higher risk on the roads, any collision may be more serious.
Safer Essex Road priority is making Essex a safer place to live. We can only achieve Vision Zero, zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2040, together.
Community Voluntary Services Tendring
Below are details on cultural groups that CVST run for families and individuals:
Our Sister Circle runs from 10am - 12pm on Thursdays (1st and 3rd of the month). Each session costs just £3 and is a welcoming safe space where women can meet, make friends and support each other.
Our Eastern European Friendship & Coffee Morning runs every Monday 9.30 - 11.30am. Free to attend and is a welcoming space for individuals from Eastern Europe to make friends, get support and access services that they may need. We also offer tailored support to those from Ukraine who are affected by the war. They can self-refer for support through Frontline
We also have a short survey that we are circulating to get feedback from Ukrainians that are living in Tendring on the Homes for Ukraine scheme:
We want to hear from you!
If you’re in the Tendring area through the Homes for Ukraine scheme, your voice matters to us. We’ve created a short online survey to better understand how we can support you and what more we can offer as a community.
It only takes a few minutes to complete and is available in both English and Ukrainian.
Your feedback will help shape the support and services we provide - so please take a moment to share your thoughts.
https://forms.gle/Sgxcm85gpdW4P4Hz5
Нам важлива ваша думка!
Якщо ви проживаєте в районі Тендрінгa за програмою «Homes for Ukraine», нам дуже важливо почути вас. Ми створили коротке онлайн-опитування, щоб краще зрозуміти, як ми можемо вас підтримати та що ще можемо запропонувати нашій спільноті.
Заповнення займає лише кілька хвилин, і опитування доступне англійською та українською мовами.
Ваші відповіді допоможуть нам покращити підтримку та послуги - будь ласка, знайдіть кілька хвилин, щоб поділитися своєю думкою.
https://forms.gle/Sgxcm85gpdW4P4Hz5
Community Voluntary Services Tendring is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee.
Registered in England 5325167. Registered Charity No. 1108177
The dividends can be cashed in and used to purchase extra resources for the school.
