It is very easy to set up a school milk scheme.  Find your local School Milk Project Facilitator (click here)  who can provide help and assistance on the right scheme for you.  Alternatively you can call 0870 241 2693. 

Option 1 – an independent school milk scheme

• You will need to source milk direct from a dairy or through an LA contract
  
  
• Agree a price for the milk which must then be communicated to parents/carers.  Schools are able to add (if preferred) around 1p per carton to cover any administration costs.

Option 2 – a subsidised school milk scheme

• Contact your LA or their chosen administrative organisation to see if they will claim the subsidy on your behalf
  
  
• Ask the LA how much you should charge for the milk as this will depend on what the LA has agreed with their contracted dairy.  You must charge the same price as the LA quotes
  
  
• The LA will advise which records/paperwork you need to complete.  If the LA has an administration scheme, they will do this for you
  
  
• Decide the period for which parents need to pay i.e. weekly/each term and then pay the dairy invoices direct or via the LA as per the specified agreement
  
  
• Click here to go to our download page and then select the "RPA Brief guide to subsidy" document.
  
  
• Changes to the subsidised milk scheme have been introduced from 1st August this year. All schools are now eligible to participate in the scheme and schools can obtain free posters to help promote their participation in the scheme. For more information please go to www.rpa.gov.uk/schoolmilksubsidy where you can download the posters and various forms.
  You can also download the RPA school posters from our website by clicking here.
  NB: These posters must be printed on A3 paper and is designed to print in landscape orientation . You may design your own poster, but it must comply with the requirements in Article 16 of Regulation (EC) No.657/2008.The School Milk Poster files are in Microsoft Word format. If you require a different format please contact the RPA Dairy Schemes Helpline on 01392 266466

Other Options:

• An Administration Scheme – only available in some areas.  A dairy or independent organisation can run this with LA approval and can invoice parents direct
  
  
• Wales only – Free Milk for KS1 Children Scheme – A scheme introduced by the Welsh Assembly which uses the EU subsidy and extra finance to make milk available free to children in primary education including reception, year one and year two.
  
  
• Free Milk for Under 5’s scheme – Under the Nursery Milk Scheme all milk is free for children under five years of age as long as they attend a registered day care facility, including schools, for more than two hours a day.  Click here for details of the Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit.

All of these scheme options can be run in school and administered by school personnel, parents and children.  A milk scheme could also be incorporated into a healthy tuckshop or if you have onsite catering facilities you could talk to the catering manager to see where they can assist.