Primary & Secondary Schools Milk in schools Questions & Answers. : Ensuring that Schools are aware of New Regulations for Milk and what they need to consider to be in place before January 2015.

POSITION – The Department for Education have launched new School Food Standards which become legislation on 1st January 2015. However there are Issues to be addressed:
Questions / Answers / Timescale
  • Who is entitled to school milk at the moment?
/ There is currently no statutory requirement for schools to make milk available for pupils, although many schools choose to do so.As at present, all children aged between 5 and 18 who are eligible for free school meals (where the school claims a Pupil Premium) must be offered free milk. Schools may use the dedicated schools grant to fund the provision of milk for eligible pupils.
  • What is the new legislation?
/ From January 2015 schools across England will be legally required to ensure milk is made available during the school day to all pupils who request it- across all year groups.
  • Does the milk have to be free?
/ As at present, all children aged between 5 and 18 who are eligible for free school meals (where the school claims a Pupil Premium) must be offered free milk. Schools may use the dedicated schools grant to fund the provision of milk for eligible pupils. From September 2014, when all infant pupils are entitled to a free school meal, milk must be offered free to infant pupils where it forms part of the school lunch. If milk is offered at any other time during the school dayto children in any year group, it will only be free for those pupils with an underlying entitlement to free school meals. / Sept ‘14 Nursery Milk Free
Jan ‘ 15 milk offered to 5 -18Eligible for FSM
  • When should Schools make milk available?
/ Milk should be made available duringcore school hours. In practice this means that milk can be made available at mid-morning break, mid-afternoon break or lunchtime. It is the school’s decision when to offer milk during the school day. By drinking milk at mid-morning or mid-afternoon break, children will benefit from the rehydration and energy boost halfway through the morning or afternoon. If you offer milk at lunchtime, it can be part of the school meal. The guidelines on quantity are as follows: most cartons of milk are 189ml, the most that can be subsidised under EU School Milk Subsidy is 250ml / Availability:
Mid-Morning Break,
Mid Afternoon Break
Lunch time
  • How will schools know who will be interested?
/ A letter should be sent to parents to gauge the interest from parents who are to pay for this milk. / Prior to Christmas, prepared for New Term in January 2015.
  • What about storage of Milk on a daily basis, some schools do not have the space, and what of the disposal of Milk (a Health & Safety issue)?
/ Some school may have or may not have the space to store a fridge, the decision on how and where to store will be up to the school in question. The purchase of a fridge will also be up to the school also, some providers of Milk (e.g. currently Fresh Pastures) may offer fridges but this may come at a cost.
There may be the offer of collecting the empty carton or bottles for disposal from the distributors of Milk, also consideration must be given to the cost of a disposal bin (please ask if this facility is available, if the school require it.) / Prior to new term in January, new bins to be in place, also refrigerator for storage.
Questions / Answers / Timescale
  • How much does the milk cost, and how much do we charge?
/ Under the Department of Health Nursery Milk scheme all children under five years old attending a day care or early years setting are eligible to receive, free of charge, 189ml (one third of a pint) of milk each day they attend an approved day care or schools facilities for two hours or more.However certain children are exempt from the charge:
Nursery children.
Pupils entitled to free school meals.
Schools With pupils Over 5may use the Dedicated Schools Grant to fund the provision of milk for eligible pupils (i.e. those entitled to and registered for free school meals).It is for individual schools to decide how much funding to allocate for this. To help reduce the cost, schools can participate in the EU School Milk Subsidy Scheme.
Option 1. Schools can opt to offer milk to all pupils without a charge; therefore schools are picking up the cost themselves. / (charge can be full cost of 1 carton/ bottle = 190 days x purchase price for 1 carton/bottle of milk)
Option 2. Schools can charge parents the full purchase price of milk; however a grant claim will be difficult to be made on the schools behalf as no profit should be seen to be made on the purchase of milk by the school.(If dealt with by the Local Authority). / As Above
Option 3. Schools can opt to purchase the milk and make a request for a contribution towards the milk, which will enable schools to obtain an EU subsidy grant, if the administration of the grant is made by the Local Authority. (Local Authority Grant Subsidies claimed are reimbursed back to the schools). / LCC Guide to the maximum charge to parents for Milk without further details is currently £21.00
Option 4. Schools can opt to outsource to an external organisation where the administration of grant claims for milk can be done, however the full grant subsidies obtained may not be refund back to the school. / Details to be obtained from external providers
  • If schools opt to stay with the Local Authority or outsource to an external organisation, what are the requirements?
/ If schools opt to stay with the Local Authority they are required to contact their Local Authority Financial Services, who will provided guidance on the relevant documentation required for acquiring a grant. (i.e. Application forms, and grant claim submission forms).
If school wish to outsource the administration they are required to contact the company concerned to seek their Advice. / If staying with LCC contact immediately for further guidance.
(Before Dec ’14)
If outsourced contact the providers immediately.
Questions / Answers / Timescale
  • Some schools have various cashless systems in monitoring meals, who will this work with milk?
/ Schools will have to speak to their provider in ascertaining if milk can be identified as a separate item on reports, thus demonstrating what parents or pupils have paid for milk. / Contact the providers immediately.
  • What Payment process should be adopted by schools?
/
  • Payment should be requested as early as possible, this is no different to payment of meals.
  • Where payment is not forthcoming please write to the parent/guardian concerned reminding them to make payment without further delay. Should this fail to secure payment, we would be grateful if you could continue to approach the parent/guardian to ensure that all reasonable steps are being taken to fulfil the Authority’s statutory obligations in this regard.
  • Where all reasonable steps have been taken to obtain payment but without success, it may be possible for the Local Authority to issue an account to recover the debt, if the service of milk as not been outsourced toexternal provider (the appropriate form can be obtained from the Education Hub).
/ If staying with LCC schools should follow current guidelines.
If external providers please make further enquiries with them on how debts are to chased.
  • Can the Pupil premium be used to fund any short fall in funding Milk?
/ The Pupil Premium is targeted at the progress of children eligible for free school meals and who are looked after, also for providing out of school classes to all FSM pupils. Therefore any pupil premium cannot be used for funding short falls in funding of milk.
  • Are Pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in mainstream Schools exempt from paying for Milk like those pupils attending Special Schools of any age?
/ The Current Local guide provided is that those Pupils in Special Schools of any age are exempt from paying for Milk. However, this is not the case Nationally and Department for Education guidelines indicate schools can charge pupils in Special schools and SEN pupils in mainstream school for milk from the age of 5 -18, unless they are eligible for free school meals