Overview
The Period Product Scheme provides complimentary period products to girls and women in their educational settings. This initiative is available to state-maintained schools and Department for Education (DfE) funded educational organizations for individuals aged 16 to 19 in England. The scheme will be operational for the academic year 2024 to 2025.
This guidance is intended for state-maintained schools and DfE-funded educational organizations for individuals aged 16 to 19. For the sake of clarity, the term “schools and colleges” will be utilized throughout this document.
The DfE has established a contract with Personnel Hygiene Services Limited (phs), enabling institutions to order a diverse range of period products and receive timely deliveries.
This guidance encompasses the following topics:
- Selection and ordering of period products
- Distribution of products within institutions
- Addressing stigma
It is imperative that period products are accessible to all individuals in need, ensuring that they can fully participate in their education. Menstruation should not serve as an impediment to educational access for anyone.
Eligibility for the Scheme
The scheme is designed for girls, women, and individuals who identify as non-binary or transgender and experience menstruation. All pupils and students in schools and 16 to 19 educational organizations should have access to period products as required.
Examples of circumstances warranting access to the scheme include, but are not limited to:
- Instances where individuals have forgotten or depleted their period products at school or college
- Situations where individuals are unable to afford period products
- Occurrences of unexpected menstruation
When placing orders for products, it is essential to consider the specific needs, characteristics, and preferences of all pupils and students.
The scheme is available to:
- State-maintained primary schools with Year 5 pupils and above
- State-maintained secondary schools
- State-maintained special schools and non-maintained special schools
- Alternative provisions, including pupil referral units, with pupils or students in Year 5 and above
Additionally, it is accessible to DfE-funded educational organizations for individuals aged 16 to 19 across England, which receive funding allocations from the DfE or the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). This includes, but is not limited to:
- Further education (FE) and sixth form colleges
- State-maintained school and academy sixth forms
- 16 to 19 academies
- Higher education (HE) institutions providing 16 to 19 programs
- Independent learning providers (ILPs)
- Special post-16 institutions (SPIs)
Women aged 19 or older are eligible for support only if they meet one of the following criteria:
- They are continuing a study program initiated between the ages of 16 and 18 (referred to as ‘19+ continuers’)
- They possess an education, health, and care plan
The scheme does not extend to:
- Students enrolled in higher education qualifications
- Apprentices
- Staff members, including supply staff, volunteers, and contractors
Ordering Products
Our supplier, phs, will manage the stocking and delivery of period products. They will also provide customer service support related to the ordering and delivery processes.
Institutions will have the ability to order a variety of period products, either online through the phs portal or via telephone, with deliveries provided at no cost.
A spending cap is established at the commencement of each academic year. Detailed information regarding the calculation of this cap and the entitlements associated with it can be found in the relevant documentation.
The available budget for your institution will be displayed on the ordering portal.
When placing orders, institutions should consider the following:
- Minimizing waste by ordering products only when stock levels are low
- Ensuring that the selected product types adequately meet the needs of pupils and students
- Assessing the environmental impact associated with the frequency of deliveries
The supplier, phs, has developed a user guide that outlines the process for accessing the portal and ordering products.
