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Free school meals and contextual offers at oxford

Hi guys, I’m looking to apply for maths at Oxford. I was doing my research and came across a site called contextual offers, and realised that maybe one of them applies to me
During the COVID pandemic, my dad didn’t work for around 6-10 months as he is part of health care and is classes as vulnerable, so he couldn’t go to work. My mother does not have a job at all. So during the whole pandemic and longer, we had no family income so we were in quite a difficult situation, as we still had to buy all the necessities, yet there was no flow of money coming in.
When we all returned to school (I would have been in yr10 at the time), my father requested the government/school (I’m unsure how this system works) if my brother and I would be eligible for free school meals, as we were struggling and it would aid our situation a little bit. In response to this, we did receive free school meals.
I’m currently still on free school meals, though my father has told the government that things at home are slightly better, to which the government responded that I am able to keep my free school meals as they understand the situation we were in. My dad is working now - my mom still does not work.

Do you think this would be fine to ask my teachers to reference on my personal statement?

Here is the link to Oxford contextual offers (look at point 4):

https://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/applying-to-oxford/decisions/contextual-data

Thanks so much

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yes you get contextual offer, the school needs to put this down on the ucas form and so do you
Original post by toothysmile
yes you get contextual offer, the school needs to put this down on the ucas form and so do you

I just wasn’t sure seeming as I haven’t always been on free school meals my whole life.
Will UCAS require proof? And if so, what type of proof will it need to be?
Because my dad is working currently but I’m still on free school meals? Many thanks
perhaps ask your teachers (ones who are in control of admissions)
Original post by waterdrinker110
I just wasn’t sure seeming as I haven’t always been on free school meals my whole life.
Will UCAS require proof? And if so, what type of proof will it need to be?
Because my dad is working currently but I’m still on free school meals? Many thanks


If you ever had had free school meals for over 6 months since highschool you are eligible
You tick the box on the UCAS form to say you were / are eligible for free school meals

Teachers don’t need to put on your reference and you don’t need to mention on your personal statement

Details at https://www.ucas.com/advisers/toolkits/adviser-toolkit-supporting-students-individual-needs/applicants-eligible-free-school-meals-fsm
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by Johnny Valentine
You tick the box on the UCAS form to say you were / are eligible for free school meals

Teachers don’t need to put on your reference and you don’t need to mention on your personal statement

Details at https://www.ucas.com/advisers/toolkits/adviser-toolkit-supporting-students-individual-needs/applicants-eligible-free-school-meals-fsm

Thank you!
@Oxford Mum thoughts ?? :smile:
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by waterdrinker110
@Oxford Mum thoughts ?? :smile:


I do not have much experience of this, unfortunately . When my children were 5 and 1, their father abandoned us and they received free school meals at primary level. However they went on to win scholarships to private school so the meals were paid for. However if you are eligible for free school meals I would certainly point it out, as mentioned above.

You would still need to do well in the admissions test and the interview to get a place. However those contextual flags will pop up later if you do get in. I can remember getting a very generous cheque and a scholarship for elder child ( the latter just for being resident in Nottinghamshire/ Lincolnshire). The lovely accompanying letter said that our financial situation should not be a barrier to studying at Oxford.

good luck with your application. When you visit the college, do not think, this is not for the likes of us”, as I did when I first saw Exeter college. Rather, flip this round and repeat a mantra my elder son thought up, “someone has to get in, and it might as well be me”
Original post by toothysmile
If you ever had had free school meals for over 6 months since highschool you are eligible

Hi, I’m also applying and i am on free school meals as well,
I just wanted to ask how you know this? is there a website that says this? (The six months on free school meals thing)?
I’m confused as it says on the Oxford website that you need to be eligible ‘since age 11’ ??
Original post by Anonymous
Hi, I’m also applying and i am on free school meals as well,
I just wanted to ask how you know this? is there a website that says this? (The six months on free school meals thing)?
I’m confused as it says on the Oxford website that you need to be eligible ‘since age 11’ ??

Not sure where the 6 months thing has come from either

Generally, you tick the box if you have received (were eligible for) free school meals in the last 6 years (I.e. since you were 11)

If you received them at any point since going to secondary school, tick the box and ask for the contextual offer is my advice.
Hi, I'm on free school meals. I'm in Year 13 and have received an offer from Oxford to study this year (hopefully I'll be studying there). Unfortunately, you don't get a contextual offer in terms of a grade reduction, as they made it clear to me that all applicants are treated equally on those terms. However, my offer was under the Opportunity Oxford scheme to help prepare people like me to study at an institution like Oxford. For other universities, I didn't get any contextual offers because I think the area of London that I'm from has improved in sending ppl to uni, which was a shame. I hope this helped :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
Hi, I'm on free school meals. I'm in Year 13 and have received an offer from Oxford to study this year (hopefully I'll be studying there). Unfortunately, you don't get a contextual offer in terms of a grade reduction, as they made it clear to me that all applicants are treated equally on those terms. However, my offer was under the Opportunity Oxford scheme to help prepare people like me to study at an institution like Oxford. For other universities, I didn't get any contextual offers because I think the area of London that I'm from has improved in sending ppl to uni, which was a shame. I hope this helped :smile:


As previously mentioned, I just ticked the box to say I receive FSM. You don't need to tell your reference writer this but at the end of your reference, your teacher will most likely write some statistics about how many ppl are on FSM at your school, and stuff like that.
Original post by Anonymous
Hi, I'm on free school meals. I'm in Year 13 and have received an offer from Oxford to study this year (hopefully I'll be studying there). Unfortunately, you don't get a contextual offer in terms of a grade reduction, as they made it clear to me that all applicants are treated equally on those terms. However, my offer was under the Opportunity Oxford scheme to help prepare people like me to study at an institution like Oxford. For other universities, I didn't get any contextual offers because I think the area of London that I'm from has improved in sending ppl to uni, which was a shame. I hope this helped :smile:

Hi, I’m kind of in the same boat as you! (on FSM + got my Oxford offer). I was only offered a place on Opportunity Oxford for the online component though. But personally, I didn’t find the course helpful because it felt like it already expected me to know so many things I hadn’t previously been exposed to and it’s made me feel even more nervous about starting. I just wanted to ask how you found it? and whether you also are from a nonselective state school that doesn’t usually get any Oxbridge offers :smile:
Original post by fluffypoopies
Hi, I’m kind of in the same boat as you! (on FSM + got my Oxford offer). I was only offered a place on Opportunity Oxford for the online component though. But personally, I didn’t find the course helpful because it felt like it already expected me to know so many things I hadn’t previously been exposed to and it’s made me feel even more nervous about starting. I just wanted to ask how you found it? and whether you also are from a nonselective state school that doesn’t usually get any Oxbridge offers :smile:


Hii! As I said above, I’m also eligible for free school meals - I’ve been receiving them since I was in yr10?
has it benefited you in anyway when putting it down do you think?
Original post by Anonymous
Hii! As I said above, I’m also eligible for free school meals - I’ve been receiving them since I was in yr10?
has it benefited you in anyway when putting it down do you think?

I think so, because I don’t think my application was the strongest, but I guess with respect to my background (having been on FSM + mediocre state school) I still got the offer. Are you going to be starting this October?
Original post by fluffypoopies
Hi, I’m kind of in the same boat as you! (on FSM + got my Oxford offer). I was only offered a place on Opportunity Oxford for the online component though. But personally, I didn’t find the course helpful because it felt like it already expected me to know so many things I hadn’t previously been exposed to and it’s made me feel even more nervous about starting. I just wanted to ask how you found it? and whether you also are from a nonselective state school that doesn’t usually get any Oxbridge offers :smile:

Hi, nice to hear from you. What college did you get into? What course? I’m going to Lincoln. Ngl it probably stressed me out more than helped me. I felt like the work was quite difficult. I’m doing biochemistry and I feel like it pushed me straight into the deep end. I did the EPQ so I have som experience in reading scientific papers but even then I found it really hard to grasp.
Original post by Anonymous
Hii! As I said above, I’m also eligible for free school meals - I’ve been receiving them since I was in yr10?
has it benefited you in anyway when putting it down do you think?


I agree, I would say put it down. It’s not going to disadvantage you, if anything it will help you out. It just puts a bit of context behind your situation
I think the UCAS firm said you needed to be eligible at some point in secondary school, so Yr 7 to 11. So you should be fine to still put it down
Original post by fluffypoopies
I think so, because I don’t think my application was the strongest, but I guess with respect to my background (having been on FSM + mediocre state school) I still got the offer. Are you going to be starting this October?


ah yes, I also went to a state school for GCSEs and then because of my grades, I got into a slightly better school (which used to be a grammar school) for A-levels. And no, I’m applying for Oxford in the coming October as I’m going into yr13!

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