Eligible pupils in Bridgend County Borough set to benefit from grants to help with school attendance.

A short new animation highlighting the resources available to families in Bridgend County Borough who may be struggling with the financial costs of attending school has been released by the council, ahead of the approaching new school year.

As part of a new school attendance campaign, the animation aims to raise awareness of the grants available for eligible pupils such as the Welsh Government School Essentials Grant, free school meals, and the Education Maintenance Allowance, informing of the support and guidance readily available to help with key costs such as school uniform and equipment.

The Welsh Government School Essentials Grant is available for parents and carers of eligible pupils in Reception to Year 11. Eligible pupils are those who are currently entitled to free school meals unless their eligibility is transitionally protected or part of the universal free school meals initiative.

The grant can be used to pay for:

• school uniforms and footwear
• sports equipment and kit
• school activities, including musical lessons, school trips and after-school clubs
• classroom essentials, including pens, pencils and school bags
• laptop or tablet if you cannot loan it from the school

Each eligible learner will be entitled to a grant of £125, and pupils in Year 7 will receive £200 due to the increased costs of starting secondary school.

Families are entitled to claim once per child, per school year. The 2024 to 2025 scheme is now open and will close on 31 May 2025. Parents and carers should submit completed application forms to the school their child will be attending in September, or applications can be made online via the council’s website.

Parents and carers can also claim free school meals for school-aged children, if they are in receipt of benefits including:

• income support
• income based jobseeker's allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• income-related employment and support allowance
• child tax credit (not working tax credit) if your annual income does not exceed £16,190
• universal credit (not in work) or universal credit (in work) where your earnings do not exceed £7,400 from your employment or self-employment

Pupils and students in full time education after the age of 16 may also be eligible to apply for an Education Maintenance Allowance. The scheme is based on household income, and further information can be found by contacting the individual school, or Student Finance Wales.

From September 2024 the Universal Primary Free School Meals initiative will also be rolled out to pupils in Year 6, meaning that every child attending Nursery through to Year 6 in schools across the county borough will be entitled to receive a free school meal.

The initiative was launched in 2022 to help families ease the burden of the cost-of-living crisis, and parents and carers of Year 6 pupils are reminded that there is no need to complete an application, as pupils will automatically benefit from the provision.

Parents and carers can view the animation and find out further information on the grants available, including full criteria, on our website.

Financial grants and funding are there to provide essential support for parents and carers, and I urge families to take advantage, and alleviate some of the financial costs than can negatively impact on school attendance rates.

Speak to your school for support and advice, and assistance is also available from charities such as Turn2Us, from food banks throughout the county borough, and access to further grants including the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF).

By relieving the pressure of costs associated with education, we can help ensure consistent school attendance, offering children future educational and job opportunities, as well as a greater impact on their health and wellbeing.

Cabinet Member for Education and Youth Services, Councillor Martyn Jones