SIMS Guidance - Free School Meals for London Primary Schools from Sept 1st
Primary school children in state-funded schools in London will get free school meals for the next school year. If you use SIMS you’ll need to make adjustments to your Dinner Money set up.
Are you a SIMS Dinner Money user?
From 1st September 2023 pupils in London schools in Years 3,4,5 and 6 will receive free Mayor Meals. You will need to make some changes in SIMS to differentiate between the different Pupil meals categories.
Step 1
Tools | Lookups | Maintain
In the Data Area select Dinner Money and Click Search, you will see the four lookup tables associated with SIMS Dinner Money. Select the Student Meal Type by double clicking or selecting and clicking open.
You will need to add the following value:
MFM - Mayor Free Meal
To create, click New
Enter the Code, Description and Select the Category and Category 2 from the drop down menus as follows:
The following message will show as you save.
Once you have completed the changes to the Values, as prompted you will need to log out of SIMS and back in again for the changes to take effect.
Step 2
Back into SIMS
Tools | Dinner Money | Pupil Meal Definitions
When you Click you will see the Pupil Meal Definitions that have been previously set up.
Click New
Enter the Description, select Mayor Free Meals from the Meal Type drop down menu and carefully tick the Year Group boxed Year 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Enter the start date of 1st September 2023 the Charge amount of 0.00 is correct.
Step 3
Focus | Dinner Money | Pupil Default Meal Patterns
Change the Effective date to the first day of your new academic year i.e.
01/09/2023 and select Year 3 from the Year Group selection. (You will need to repeat this for Years 4, 5 and 6 after)
Click Search, you will see the pupils that will be attending your Year 3 from September 2023
You can change their Pupil Default Meal Pattern in bulk in this area to Mayor Free Meal.
Select the Pupils concerned, Right Click and select Mayor Free Meal from the selection of default meal patterns.
Before:
After:
Don’t forget, please repeat for Year 4, 5 and 6.
When you come to run the Kitchen Statistics Report – Mayor Meals will be shown
If you would like an answer to any questions you may have, please call us on 0345 222 1551 • Opt 3 or email misservicedesk@schoolbusinessservices.co.uk
