Holiday support
Free school meal vouchers
We are providing meal vouchers funded by the Department for Work and Pensions Household Support Fund.
You can use the vouchers to buy food only. You can use them in most supermarkets.
The following vouchers will be sent to parents or guardians by the school or college:
- £75 in July 2023
- £60 in December 2023
Who will get the vouchers
The free school meal vouchers are for anyone in receipt of free school meals who are on roll with Essex Schools. This includes:
- children and young people aged 4 to 19 who are registered for free meals with their school or college
- children aged 2, 3 and 4 who are entitled to pupil premium or where the setting receives the IDACI funding supplement
- children aged 2 who are entitled to the funded early education entitlement for 2 year olds
In exceptional circumstances this will also apply to a child or young person in an independent special school outside of Essex. This must be part of a planned process to which the local authority has been party.
More information
These vouchers are separate from the free meals that your child receives during the school day.
For more information, visit the School Vouchers website.
Holiday clubs
Essex ActivAte is the Holiday Activity and Food programme run by Active Essex in partnership with Essex County Council and funded by the Department for Education. The Essex ActivAte programme offers free clubs for eligible children and young people during the school holidays. Booking usually opens on their website a few weeks before the holidays.