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
Jan. 02 2024
Source Page: Pledged pilot scheme for free school meals in secondary schools: FOI releaseFound: Pledged pilot scheme for free school meals in secondary schools: FOI release
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support (a) pre-school, (b) primary school and (c) secondary school-aged children living in poverty other than through the provision of free school meals.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Spreading opportunity and ensuring every child can reach their potential no matter their background or where they live remains a key priority for the department. The department has a range of support in place for pupils, families and schools.
Low-income families and children experiencing other forms of disadvantage can qualify for 15 hours free early education for 2 year olds, a year before all children become eligible for 15 hours at ages 3 and 4. These entitlements support children’s development and helps prepare them for school.
Within schools, the department has consistently taken steps to help economically disadvantaged pupils, including improving the quality of teaching and curriculum resources, strengthening the school system and providing targeted support where needed. Underpinning this is pupil premium, worth over £2.9 billion this year. In 2024/25, the department has targeted a greater proportion of schools National Funding Formula towards disadvantaged pupils than ever before; 10.2% (over £4.4 billion) of the formula has been allocated according to deprivation in 2024/25.
To offer children from low-income families a free nutritious breakfast, the department is investing up to £35 million in the National School Breakfast Programme until the end of July 2025. This funding is reaching up to 2,700 primary and secondary schools in disadvantaged areas to better support attainment, wellbeing and readiness to learn.
Since 2021, the department has also provided more than £200 million of funding every year to local authorities across England for holiday provision for school-aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits-related free school meals and other families that most need it. The department has also published statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform to ensure uniform is affordable for all families.
Family hubs are a one stop shop for families to get the help they need. They provide services for children of all ages, or between 0 to 19 or 0 to 25 for families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities, with a great Start for Life offer at their core.
To support families with the cost of living in recent years, the government has provided one of the most generous support packages in Europe. The total support over 2022 to 2025 to help households and individuals with higher bills amounts to £108 billion, which is on average £3,800 per UK household.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to promote healthy eating in schools.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department encourages a healthy balanced diet and healthy life choices through school funding, legislation and guidance.
The standards for school food are set out in the Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014. These regulations are designed to ensure that schools provide pupils with healthy food and drink options, and to make sure that pupils have the energy and nutrition they need throughout the school day.
Under the benefits-based criteria, over 2 million of the most disadvantaged pupils are eligible for and claiming a free school meal. An additional 1.3 million infants enjoy a free, healthy and nutritious meal at lunchtime following the introduction of Universal Infant Free School Meals.
The School Fruit and Vegetables Scheme also provides over 2.2 million children in Reception and key stage 1 with a portion of fresh fruit or vegetables each day at school. Schools are encouraged to use it as an opportunity to educate children and to assist a healthy, balanced diet.
The importance of a healthy diet is also included in the science curriculum for both primary and secondary school. Healthy eating is covered through topics relating to nutrition and digestion, which cover the content of a healthy diet and the impact of diet on how the body functions.
The Relationships, Sex and Health Education statutory guidance states that by the end of primary school, pupils should know what constitutes a healthy diet; the principles of planning and preparing a range of healthy meals; the characteristics of a poor diet; and risks associated with unhealthy eating and other behaviours. By the end of secondary school pupils should know how to maintain healthy eating and the links between a poor diet and health risks.
Healthy eating and opportunities to develop pupils’ cooking skills are covered in the design and technology (D&T) curriculum. Cooking and nutrition are a discrete strand of the D&T curriculum and is compulsory in maintained schools for key stages 1 to 3. The curriculum aims to teach children how to cook and how to apply the principles of healthy eating and nutrition. The department has also introduced a new food preparation and nutrition GCSE to provide pupils with practical cookery experience and teach them the underlying scientific concepts of nutrition and healthy eating.
The Healthy Schools Rating Scheme celebrates the positive actions that schools are delivering in terms of healthy living, healthy eating and physical activity. This voluntary rating scheme is available for both primary and secondary schools.
Asked by: Alistair Strathern (Labour - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many families are (a) eligible for and (b) receive free school meals in Mid Bedfordshire constituency.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department publishes figures on the proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals (FSM) in England. The most recently published figures are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics. In January 2023, 1,056 (11%) state-funded primary school pupils and 1,377 (11%) secondary school pupils were known to be eligible for FSM in the Mid Bedfordshire constituency. Of these eligible pupils, 852 primary school pupils and 919 secondary school pupils took a FSM on census day.
Mentions:
1: Munira Wilson (LD - Twickenham) When free infant school meals were rolled out, two in five headteachers told the Education Policy Institute - Speech Link
2: Stephen Timms (Lab - East Ham) out on free school meals. - Speech Link
3: Sharon Hodgson (Lab - Washington and Sunderland West) and all secondary school students are subject to a means-tested offer. - Speech Link
4: Damian Hinds (Con - East Hampshire) school meals to disadvantaged children in further education colleges. - Speech Link
Mar. 17 2009
Source Page: Table showing list of educational initiatives funded through the Standards Fund, with the amount allocated to each, for each year from 1998/99 to 20/10/11. 18 p.Found: Development Grant377991855.0Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG)84297954.0Targeted School Meals
May. 10 2024
Source Page: The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (Modification) Regulations 2024 Equality Impact Assessment - ResultsFound: The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 (Modification) Regulations 2024 Equality Impact Assessment - Results
Mentions:
1: Patricia Gibson (SNP - North Ayrshire and Arran) Expanding free school meals has a direct impact on children’s health, promoting cognitive development - Speech Link
2: Damian Hinds (Con - East Hampshire) are now eligible for free school meals, compared with one in six when Labour was in Government. - Speech Link
3: Damian Hinds (Con - East Hampshire) We have extended eligibility for free school meals on three occasions, mainly with universal infant free - Speech Link
Oral Evidence Mar. 07 2024
Inquiry: Food, Diet and ObesityFound: TastEd (Taste Education), Chefs in Schools, School Food Matters, and Local Authority Caterers Association