Jul. 05 2011
Source Page: Table showing the number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals for a) maintained nursery, primary and middle deemed primary schools, b) maintained secondary and middle deemed secondary schools and c) special schools as at January 1997, by local education authority and Government Office region. 15 p.Found: Table showing the number of pupils eligible for and claiming free school meals for a) maintained nursery
Sep. 17 2024
Source Page: School healthy living survey: school meal uptake statistics 2024Found: School healthy living survey: school meal uptake statistics 2024
Asked by: Jon Pearce (Labour - High Peak)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school students receive free school meals in High Peak constituency.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
As of January 2024, 26%, or 1,725 pupils, of state-funded primary school pupils and 24%, or 1,286 pupils, of state-funded secondary school pupils attending schools in High Peak constituency were eligible for and claiming free school meals. This compares with national rates of 24% of primary school pupils and 24% of secondary school pupils in the whole of England. These figures are from the school census and are published down to school level here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school students receive free school meals in South Holland and the Deepings constituency.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
As of January 2024, 2,166, or 26%, of state-funded primary school pupils and 1,655, or 23%, of state-funded secondary school pupils attending schools in South Holland and the Deepings constituency were eligible for and claiming free school meals. This compares with rates of 24% of primary school pupils and 24% of secondary school pupils in the whole of England. These figures are from the school census and are published down to school level in the following official statistics: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics.
Oct. 28 2024
Source Page: Meetings where universal free school meals were discussed: FOI releaseFound: Meetings where universal free school meals were discussed: FOI release
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the total amount of public funding for free school meals in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2023-24.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Local authorities receive their core funding for schools through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG).
Since 2018/19, the DSG allocations have been calculated based on the national funding formula (NFF). The schools NFF includes a ’free school meal (FSM) factor’ which is broadly intended to cover the cost of providing free meals for eligible pupils. In 2023/24, schools received £480 for each eligible primary and secondary pupil through this factor. A total of £842 million was distributed through the FSM factor in financial year 2023/24.
In addition to the FSM factor in the NFF, the department also provides additional funding for free meals through the universal infant free school meal (UIFSM) grant. This grant enables all government funded schools to offer FSM to pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2. In the 2023/24 academic year, £626 million was allocated through the UIFSM.
The equivalent figures are not available for 2009/10. Prior to the introduction of the NFF in 2018/19, the DSG was calculated in a different way, without a separate ‘FSM factor’. UIFSM was introduced in 2014.
Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Independent - Runcorn and Helsby)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school students receive free school meals in Runcorn and Helsby constituency.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The most recently published figures on free school meals (FSM) eligibility are from the January 2024 school census, which were published in June 2024 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics
Where statistics were published prior to the changes in parliamentary constituency boundaries, they will be updated to reflect the new boundaries in the next publication of statistics. This is expected to be in June 2025 for schools and pupils statistics.
The constituency of Runcorn and Helsby is made up of elements of five old constituencies: Weaver Vale, Halton, Ellesmere Port and Neston, Eddisbury, and City of Chester. The attached Excel table gives FSM rates as of January 2024 for schools in those constituencies.
The ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ publication linked above includes data at school level. This can be combined with information from ‘Get Information About Schools’ (GIAS) to identify parliamentary constituency, which can be accessed here: https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/. GIAS reflects the changes made following the general election parliamentary constituency changes. Updates to geographical data in GIAS are made on a quarterly basis using data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Asked by: Lennon, Monica (Scottish Labour - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet last discussed the (a) expansion of universal free school meals to P6 and P7 pupils and (b) establishment of a pilot scheme for free school meals in secondary schools, and whether it will provide details of any such discussion.
Answered by Gilruth, Jenny - Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
Cabinet minutes provide a full account of actions but are not a verbatim record. As such, it is not possible to determine with certainty when or how many times a particular topic has been discussed at Cabinet. The Cabinet discusses policies which relate to education and to child poverty on a regular basis.
Asked by: Regan, Ash (Alba Party - Edinburgh Eastern)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the free school meal allowance for secondary school pupils, in light of the varying rates across local authority areas.
Answered by Gilruth, Jenny - Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
The responsibility for the delivery of free school meals is a matter for local authorities. This duty under Section 53 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 sets out that local authorities must provide, or secure the provision of, a school lunch free of charge to pupils who meet the eligibility criteria set out within that Act. The national eligibility criteria for free school meals is available through the following web link: Free school meals - mygov.scot .
Asked by: Gen Kitchen (Labour - Wellingborough and Rushden)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school students receive free school meals in Wellingborough constituency.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Shadow Secretary of State for Education
The department publishes annual statistics on the number of pupils at state-funded schools in England who are eligible for free school meals (FSM). The most recent figures are for January 2023, available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2022-23.
21.7% of pupils at state-funded primary schools and 19.0% of pupils at state-funded secondary schools in Wellingborough were eligible for FSM as of January 2023.