Found: programmes HC 694 40th Achieving government’s long-term environmental goals HC 927 41st COVID 19: the free

Found: This is higher than for young people who were not eligible for free school meals (nearly one in 20).

Question

To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, whether he has made an assessment of the contribution of church schools in Hendon constituency.

Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner

Though the National Church Institutions are not responsible for the operation of individual schools, the Diocese of London has volunteered the following information, which I hope is useful.

There are two Church of England schools in the Hendon Constituency.

St Mary’s and St John’s educates more than 1,600 pupils. One quarter are on free school meals, which is higher than the Local Authority average. Pupils are making above-average progress at an 8-level attainment of 0.39 compared with the national average of -0.03.

St Paul’s School Mill Hill educates 210 pupils. One fifth of pupils are in receipt of Free School Meals, in line with the Local Authority average. Pupils attainment is above-average; 84% attained the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Maths last summer compared to the national average of 60%.

I commend the teachers and leadership teams in both schools for these achievements.

The Church of England educates over one million children in its 4,700 schools across England. Church Schools are committed to the flourishing of children and deliver a rounded education that remains in high demand with parents. They serve all those in the community, whatever their faith or belief.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential (1) social, and (2) economic, benefits of expanding the School Milk Subsidy Scheme to provide a free one third of a pint portion of milk to all primary school age children each day attending school.

Answered by Baroness Barran - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

Milk is an excellent food for children’s growth and development. This is why, as part of the School Food Standards, schools are already required to ensure milk is available to all pupils who want it during school hours. The National School Milk Subsidy Scheme can be used by primary schools to reduce the cost of milk for all their pupils.

Thanks to Universal Infant Free School Meals, pupils under seven years old are already eligible for free milk when it is offered as part of their school lunch. Older pupils entitled to benefits related free school meals are also eligible for free milk when made available during the school day. This is in addition to the free milk provided for children under five-years-old thanks to the Nursery Milk Scheme.

As with free school meals, the department believes it is important to support those most in need and to ensure policy remains affordable and deliverable for schools. The department does not have plans to change the current eligibility conditions for the scheme.

Food price inflation and the Easter festive period

Found: meal eligibilityFree school meal eligibilityFree school meal eligibilityPeriods of eligibility for free

Found: in the spring census only and collects data on the number of free school meals taken on census

Found: meal eligibility Free school meal eligibility Free school meal eligibility Periods of eligibility for free

Found: has previously been used to help with water bills, provide health visits, disabled children services, free

Found: (Cavaglia, McNally and Ventura, 2022) find fewer apprentices previously eligible for free school meals

Found: card is also used to access a variety of national and local public services across Scotland, such as free

Found: Local Government within the Deputy First Minister & Finance portfolio to support the expansion of Free

Found: All children in Primaries 1-5 receive free school meals.