Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that schools enable pupils with severe dietary conditions to access free school meal entitlements.

Schools are expected to make reasonable efforts to cater for pupils with particular requirements, for example to reflect medical, dietary and cultural needs, to ensure they are not put at a substantial disadvantage in relation to accessing meals.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on governing bodies of maintained schools, proprietors of academies and management committees of pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils at their school with medical conditions, which may be food-related. Schools must therefore take appropriate action in supporting such pupils to access free school meals provision.