Free school meals checks – operational deadline extended for the autumn census The operational deadline for completing free school meals (FSM) checks for the autumn census has moved from Thursday 1 October to Monday 2 November 2026. This one-off extension is designed to support successful implementation of the FSM expansion and new checking arrangements. The extension applies to: • rechecks for pupils who were receiving FSM support in the previous academic year • checks for new FSM applications For funding purposes, FSM eligibility checks must be completed and recorded by Monday 2 November 2026. Schools and local authorities should refer to the updated free school meals guidance for operational information on eligibility checks and the updated school census guidance for information on recording FSM eligibility.