Scam warning from the Department for Education in regards to Free School Meals.

Wexham School has personally contacted all but a handful of our parents in regards to setting up the Free School Meals Voucher System which you will be receiving very soon. If the two or three parents that we haven't been able to contact want to take this up please contact us. Wexham School will never ever ask for personal bank details, this information is not needed for this scheme.

Please read below for the details. 

DfE warns of free school meals scam

The Department for Education has warned that fraudsters are targeting parents of children eligible for free school means. Families have received an email requesting their bank details, claiming this will enable their children to continue receiving meals through school closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic. DfE issued a notice to schools and councils, urging parents to delete the scam email immediately. Meanwhile, headteachers have been working to ensure that around 1.3m children who are eligible for free school meals do not go without while they are left at home. Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Director of Policy, Julie McCulloch, said the body is “horrified” by the news, adding, “Schools have put in place arrangements for providing free school meals to eligible children whether they are at home or in school.” A spokesperson for the NAHT school leaders’ union said: "Anyone seeking to scam, steal or extort at a time of national crisis should feel the full force of the law.”