Changes to the way FSM status is applied to pupils in ReachMoreParents & FAQ

We’ve updated how Free School Meal status is applied to pupils in ReachMoreParents, making the process more efficient for staff managing meals on the platform. This guide outlines the key changes.

Please note these changes won't come into effect until Oct 31st 2025

What's Changed?

We’ve updated the management of Free School Meal eligibility data within the Meal Manager module for some MIS. From 31st October, instead of schools needing to manually update FSM status in ReachMoreParents, this data will be imported from the MIS into ReachMoreParents as part of the overnight sync.

For Wonde schools this change will be applied automatically. For SIMS Schools, Weduc connector version 2.7.5 (or higher) must be installed for this FSM data to be pulled across into ReachMoreParents. To update your Weduc Connector, follow our guide here .

What's Stayed the Same?

While FSM eligibility can be pulled from your school’s MIS, pupils with UIFSM (Universal Infant Free School Meals) status will still need to be managed manually within ReachMoreParents. If you need help applying or updating UIFSM status, please refer to our full step-by-step guide for detailed instructions.

What's the Benefit?

Pupils who are eligible for Free School Meals will now have their status updated in ReachMoreParents without the need for manual input, saving staff time and reducing the risk of errors.

FAQs

1) Will I need to do anything so pupils with FSM status in my MIS sync to ReachMoreParents?

For SIMS schools:

Yes. You will need to update your Weduc/SIMS Connector to version 2.7.5 for the new FSM syncing feature to take effect. Guidance on how to update your connector is available here.
Once updated, the FSM status will be imported via the User Contact & Group Data sync task.

For schools connected via Wonde:

No action is needed. After the release, FSM status will import as part of the Import Student Users sync task, provided Wonde supports this feature for your MIS. This applies to all major MIS platforms supported by Wonde, such as Arbor, Bromcom, and iSAMS. Some MIS platforms, including WCBS and Databridge, are not supported for FSM syncing, so schools using these will need to manage FSM data manually within Meal Manager.

2) What will happen to pupils who have the FSM status assigned to them already within Meal Manager?

Pupils who have had the FSM status manually assigned to them previously within Meal Manager will be overwritten with data from the MIS. Once the FSM status is pulled from your MIS, it can be managed from your MIS and not ReachMoreParents.

3) Will I still need to continue to manually update pupils with UIFSM status directly within ReachMoreParents?

Yes. Pupils with UIFSM status will not automatically update ReachMoreParents when the sync runs. Therefore, pupils with UIFSM status will need to continue to be managed manually through the Meal Manager settings within your ReachMoreParents platform. To find out more on how to manually apply UIFSM status to pupils within ReachMoreParents, please follow our guidance here.

4) What happens if meals were booked and paid for before the FSM flag was applied to a student?

Any meals that were booked and paid for before the FSM flag was applied will remain charged at the non-FSM rate. In order to amend any meals that were booked and paid for before the FSM flag was applied, please contact our Support team on support@weduc.com with the student's name, the date of the meal and the amount that was paid.

5) What happens to pre-booked meals that haven’t yet been paid for when the FSM flag is applied?

If meals have been booked in advance but not yet paid for, they will update to the Free School Meal rate once the FSM flag is applied.

6) The FSM flag has been applied in ReachMoreParents, but not from the FSM Eligibility Start Date. How do I backdate this?

Our team can backdate this for you. Contact our Support team by email on support@weduc.com with the child name and the date you would like this backdated to.