Applies to: England
When a student joins your school, their Common Transfer File (CTF) often contains their Free School Meal (FSM) history from the sending school. That history matters, because Targeted FSM periods feed into Ever 6 FSM, Pupil Premium and Disadvantaged status.
When you import a CTF, Arbor brings the student's FSM history across, even if the student already has a current claim recorded in Arbor. Claims already in Arbor always take priority. The only change Arbor will make is to fill in a missing category or verification date. If a period from the CTF can't fit around the claims already recorded, Arbor leaves it out and tells you why.
This article explains how Arbor decides what to import, and how to check the results. For how to upload and import a CTF, see Importing a CTF.
How Arbor decides what to import
The sending school records the FSM periods in a CTF, and their end dates aren't always reliable. A sending school might leave a period open, or give it an end date in the future, without realising how that affects your school. So Arbor may give an imported period an earlier end date so that it fits around the claims already recorded in Arbor.
Arbor checks each FSM period in the CTF separately, so a problem with one period doesn't stop the others coming across. It runs these checks in order, and the first one that matches decides what happens:
| If the period from the CTF... | What Arbor does |
|---|---|
| Starts on the same date as a claim already recorded in Arbor | Arbor doesn't create a second period. It fills in any details the existing claim is missing (the FSM category and the verification date) and leaves everything else as it is. |
| Starts during a claim already recorded in Arbor | Arbor doesn't import the period, because that would mean changing the existing claim's dates. A claim with no end date counts as running from its start date onwards. |
| Starts before a claim already recorded in Arbor | Arbor imports the period and ends it the day before the next claim starts. If the period already ends before then, Arbor keeps its original end date. |
| Doesn't clash with anything already recorded in Arbor | Arbor imports the period exactly as it appears in the CTF. |
An example
A student already has these claims recorded in Arbor:
| Period | Category |
|---|---|
| 1 August 2026 to ongoing | Expanded |
| 22 September 2022 to 31 July 2026 | Targeted |
Their CTF contains this period:
| Period | Category |
|---|---|
| 5 September 2022 to ongoing | Targeted |
The earliest claim in Arbor that starts after this period begins on 22 September 2022, so Arbor imports the period with an end date of 21 September 2022:
| Period | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 August 2026 to ongoing | Expanded | Unchanged |
| 22 September 2022 to 31 July 2026 | Targeted | Unchanged |
| 5 September 2022 to 21 September 2022 | Targeted | Imported from the CTF |
Checking the results of your import
When the import has finished, open the CTF import and click a student's name. The slide-over shows the result for each section, including FSM.
Any messages appear in a box on the slide-over. Some messages are just for information, and others need you to do something. The table below shows which is which.
⚠️ At the moment, every message appears in the Errors box and starts with "Error 1:", including messages that are just for information. For example, "…was imported with an end date of…" means the period was imported successfully. We are working to change and improve this.
What the messages mean
Text in square brackets is replaced with the student's own dates and categories. If a period in the CTF has no end date, the message says "from [start date] with no end date" in place of a date range.
| Message | Type | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Free school meal period from [start date] ([category]) in the transfer file was imported with an end date of [date], because the claim starting [date] already recorded for this student takes precedence." | Information | Nothing. The period was imported. |
| "The free school meal claim starting [date] has been updated with details from the transfer file: [category], verified [date]." | Information | Nothing. Arbor filled in missing details. |
| "The transfer file records the claim starting [date] as [category], but this student's claim is recorded as [category]. Nothing has been changed. Please check the student's free school meal record." | Needs action | Check which category is correct, then update the student's record if you need to. |
| "Free school meal period from [start date] to [end date] ([category]) in the transfer file was not imported, because it overlaps the claim starting [date] already recorded for this student. Please check the student's free school meal history." | Needs action | Compare the CTF period with the student's history. If the history needs correcting, edit it manually. |
| "Free school meal period from [start date] was imported as Expanded FSM without a verification date, because the date in the transfer file is before 1 June 2026. Please verify this claim." | Needs action | Verify the claim and add a verification date. |
| "Free school meal period from [start date] was not imported, because it is recorded as Expanded FSM and starts before 1 August 2026. Please check the student's free school meal history." | Needs action | Check with the sending school which category applies, then add the period manually if you need to. |
Frequently asked questions
The student's FSM history came across, so why does the student show "Imported with errors"?
If a student's import produces any message, including one that's just for information, the student shows Imported with errors in the import list and the import shows Some students imported. Open the student's slide-over and check the messages. If they're all information messages, everything came across as expected and you don't need to do anything.
Will importing a CTF change FSM claims already recorded in Arbor?
Arbor never changes the dates of an existing claim or removes it. The only change it makes is filling in a category or verification date that's missing, and it tells you when it does this.
I've started getting re-verification reminders for a student I've only just imported. Why?
If an imported period is still open, Arbor keeps the review date from the CTF. If that date has passed, or is less than ten weeks away, you'll get a reminder straight away. Verify the claim and update its next check date to stop the reminders.
Related articles
- Importing a CTF
- Managing the 2026 changes to Free School Meals (FSM) Eligibility
- Inspect and fix CTFs errors
- CTFs FAQ
If you have any questions, please contact our Support team.
Comments
Article is closed for comments.