Management Information Sheet
Changes and Guidance on School Meals (NORSE)
A group of Headteachers, Governors and Officers have been examining the operation of the catering contract in order to ensure:
1. Correct coding of dinner monies
2. VAT on adult meals is accounted for
3. Auditing of income against expenditure
It has been decided that as from January 2011 schools in the Norse contract should no longer pay dinner monies into the catering account using a paying in slip but bank it into their schools bank account.
The income should be coded in 'STAR' accounts using the subjective codes as follows:
9324 - Pupil meals (NCS)
9327 - Adult meals + Vat (NCS)
9328 - Adult meals non vat (NCS)
9329 - Snack monies (NCS)
This will not affect schools balances as it will be moved to the catering account once the upload is received on a monthly basis, so it is very important only to use the codes as stated above.
Schools should also note that from January 2011 schools will be required to send in a termly report detailing any outstanding amounts i.e. monies not yet banked/collected and any outstanding debts to enable Norfolk County Council to do a full reconciliation. Any discrepancy between the income and expenditure will be the responsibility of the school.
Free meals:
Where pupils are coming to the end of their free meal entitlement schools are advised to give new forms to parents in plenty of time. This should be accompanied by details of when the form needs to be returned, what will happen if they are no longer entitled to free school meals and the option available to them (please see suggestion attached - appendix 1)
Paid meals:
It is understood that some schools have difficulty in collecting money from parents but it is stressed that if schools continue to offer dinners to the pupils concerned the school be expected to bear the cost of this.
Bad debts should be dealt with as detailed in the finance procedure manual - appendix 14.
Dinner Monies Database
An upgrade for the Dinner Monies Database will be made available to take account of the above changes to your banking. The upgrade (Version 2011) will provide a list of the transactions required within Star Accounts along with the correct subjective code corresponding to the income banked. Further details of the changes made will be released with the upgrade.
The upgrade will not be released until Friday 17th December 2010 and MUST NOT be completed until the database has been rolled forward into week commencing 03rd January 2011, as the upgrade has been written to calculate VAT at 20% which does not come into force until 04th January 2011.
Any Dinner Monies Database users that are not currently using Version 2010 must contact Stuart Baldry (01603 222492) before attempting to perform any upgrades.
1. Correct coding of dinner monies
2. VAT on adult meals is accounted for
3. Auditing of income against expenditure
It has been decided that as from January 2011 schools in the Norse contract should no longer pay dinner monies into the catering account using a paying in slip but bank it into their schools bank account.
The income should be coded in 'STAR' accounts using the subjective codes as follows:
9324 - Pupil meals (NCS)
9327 - Adult meals + Vat (NCS)
9328 - Adult meals non vat (NCS)
9329 - Snack monies (NCS)
This will not affect schools balances as it will be moved to the catering account once the upload is received on a monthly basis, so it is very important only to use the codes as stated above.
Schools should also note that from January 2011 schools will be required to send in a termly report detailing any outstanding amounts i.e. monies not yet banked/collected and any outstanding debts to enable Norfolk County Council to do a full reconciliation. Any discrepancy between the income and expenditure will be the responsibility of the school.
Free meals:
Where pupils are coming to the end of their free meal entitlement schools are advised to give new forms to parents in plenty of time. This should be accompanied by details of when the form needs to be returned, what will happen if they are no longer entitled to free school meals and the option available to them (please see suggestion attached - appendix 1)
Paid meals:
It is understood that some schools have difficulty in collecting money from parents but it is stressed that if schools continue to offer dinners to the pupils concerned the school be expected to bear the cost of this.
Bad debts should be dealt with as detailed in the finance procedure manual - appendix 14.
Dinner Monies Database
An upgrade for the Dinner Monies Database will be made available to take account of the above changes to your banking. The upgrade (Version 2011) will provide a list of the transactions required within Star Accounts along with the correct subjective code corresponding to the income banked. Further details of the changes made will be released with the upgrade.
The upgrade will not be released until Friday 17th December 2010 and MUST NOT be completed until the database has been rolled forward into week commencing 03rd January 2011, as the upgrade has been written to calculate VAT at 20% which does not come into force until 04th January 2011.
Any Dinner Monies Database users that are not currently using Version 2010 must contact Stuart Baldry (01603 222492) before attempting to perform any upgrades.