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Written Question
Free School Meals: Finance
Tuesday 13th February 2024

Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2023 to Question 189943 on Free School Meals: Finance, whether her Department issues guidance on recouping unspent funds allocated to free school meals.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The department spends over £1 billion each year on free meals, which now support over one third of pupils in England. In 2023/24, the Free School Meal (FSM) factor of the National Funding Formula designates £480 per eligible pupil. This is increasing to £490 in 2024/25. Schools are allocated un-ringfenced funding through their core budgets to provide these free meals for disadvantaged pupils. This system recognises that schools are best placed to make decisions about how they use their funding and gives them considerable freedom in how they best deliver educational provision to their pupils.

The department is aware of concerns highlighted in the Hungry for Change report. It is for schools to deliver FSM provision and, in line with their duties, to ensure eligible pupils receive free and nutritious meals every day. Schools have freedom over the way in which they achieve this.


Written Question
Free School Meals: Finance
Tuesday 13th February 2024

Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 22 June 2023 to Question 189943 on Free School Meals: Finance, what assessment her Department has made of the report Hungry for Change, published on 27 June 2019 by Northumbria University.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The department spends over £1 billion each year on free meals, which now support over one third of pupils in England. In 2023/24, the Free School Meal (FSM) factor of the National Funding Formula designates £480 per eligible pupil. This is increasing to £490 in 2024/25. Schools are allocated un-ringfenced funding through their core budgets to provide these free meals for disadvantaged pupils. This system recognises that schools are best placed to make decisions about how they use their funding and gives them considerable freedom in how they best deliver educational provision to their pupils.

The department is aware of concerns highlighted in the Hungry for Change report. It is for schools to deliver FSM provision and, in line with their duties, to ensure eligible pupils receive free and nutritious meals every day. Schools have freedom over the way in which they achieve this.


Written Question
Free School Meals: Finance
Tuesday 13th February 2024

Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether free school meal providers are entitled to keep money allocated to but not spent on free school meals.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The department spends over £1 billion each year on free meals, which now support over one third of pupils in England. In 2023/24, the Free School Meal (FSM) factor of the National Funding Formula designates £480 per eligible pupil. This is increasing to £490 in 2024/25. Schools are allocated un-ringfenced funding through their core budgets to provide these free meals for disadvantaged pupils. This system recognises that schools are best placed to make decisions about how they use their funding and gives them considerable freedom in how they best deliver educational provision to their pupils.

The department is aware of concerns highlighted in the Hungry for Change report. It is for schools to deliver FSM provision and, in line with their duties, to ensure eligible pupils receive free and nutritious meals every day. Schools have freedom over the way in which they achieve this.


Written Question
Education: Boys
Tuesday 13th February 2024

Asked by: Nick Fletcher (Conservative - Don Valley)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has taken steps to implement recommendation 27 on page 260 of the Equality and Human Rights Commission's report entitled Equality and Human Rights Monitor, published in November 2023, on the under-performance of boys relative to girls in primary and secondary education.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

Raising attainment for all pupils, no matter their gender or background is at the heart of this government’s agenda and the government is committed to providing a world-class education system for all.

The latest data shows that, while girls continue to outperform boys across most headline measures, the gender gap between boys and girls is narrowing.

At key stage 2 in 2022/23, the gender gap between boys and girls at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics has decreased since 2022 and is the lowest it has been since 2016. Key stage 4 results show the gender gap has narrowed across all headline measures when comparing 2022/23 with both 2018/19 and 2021/22.

The Schools White Paper, published in March 2022, was clear about the direction of travel needed to improve attainment. It set out the department’s long-term vision for a school system that helps every child to fulfil their potential by ensuring that they receive the right support, in the right place, at the right time – founded on achieving world-class literacy and numeracy.

This is supported by significant investment in education with the overall core school budget totalling over £59.6 billion in 2024/25 which is the highest ever level in real terms per pupil. This will help schools in their vital work to close attainment gaps, and level up educational opportunities.

Alongside this, the department takes a range of steps to improve attainment and outcomes for all pupils, including improving the quality of teaching and curriculum resources, strengthening the school system, increasing attendance, and providing targeted support where needed.

The department is aware that disadvantaged pupils and those with additional needs are more likely to fall behind and need extra support to reach their full potential. This is why the department has provided additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils through the pupil premium, which will rise to over £2.9 billion in 2024/25, an increase of £80 million from 2023/24.

Programmes such as free school meals that support 2 million children, the Holiday Activities and Food programme, and support for up to 2,700 breakfast clubs also support disadvantaged pupils.

The department continues to collaborate with other government departments to address out-of-school factors that we know have a significant impact on attainment outcomes.


Written Question
Holiday Activities and Food Programme
Monday 5th February 2024

Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme (HAF) in (a) providing value for money and (b) reaching the most deprived households.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The department’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme is targeted at disadvantaged families on the lowest incomes. The department knows that these children are less likely to access organised out-of-school activities, are more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health, and are more likely to experience social isolation. The programme is targeted primarily towards children who receive benefits-related free school meals (FSM). This can include children from families where parents are working on low incomes and are in receipt of Universal Credit. While the department asks local authorities to focus the majority of the funding on FSM children, they also have flexibility to use up to 15% of their funding to support other children and families that align with the local authorities’ own priorities.

Based on reporting from local authorities, over 680,000 children and young people attended the holiday activities and food programme in the 2023 summer holidays. Of these participating children, over 560,000 were funded directly by the HAF programme and over 460,000 were receiving benefits-related FSM. The reports showed that over 10,000 clubs, events or organised activities operated across the country over the summer.

HAF is a voluntary programme for eligible children, and families can therefore choose whether or not their children attend. The department is pleased that the programme reached so many children last summer.


Written Question
Special Educational Needs: Free School Meals
Tuesday 23rd January 2024

Asked by: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Somerton and Frome)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the guidance entitled Free school meals: guidance for schools and local authorities, published on 31 January 2023, if she will publish revised guidance with information on the provision of free school meals for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

There are many pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) status that meet the eligibility criteria necessary for free school meals (FSM). The latest published statistics show that 41.1% of pupils with an Education, Health and Care plan and 37.5% of pupils on SEND support were eligible for FSM provision in 2023. Similarly, many children with disabilities but not Special Educational Needs will be eligible, and those rates are higher than the overall proportion of pupils eligible for FSM in England.

The standard food offering provided by schools will be suitable to the needs of many of these children. However, some pupils with additional needs may require special food provision or arrangements. All schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people, and they must make reasonable adjustments to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage. That means that a school cannot treat a pupil unfairly because of their disability.

The department will update its published guidance on FSM to make reference to the reasonable adjustments duty in order to heighten awareness about reasonable adjustments, such as meal provision, amongst schools, local authorities and families. This guidance will be made available in spring 2024.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Friday 19th January 2024

Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number of children who previously received but are no longer eligible for free school meals as a result of their households reaching a net earned income threshold of £7,400 per annum under Universal Credit at the point of claim as of 9 January 2024; and whether her Department holds data on families with multiple children in which one or more child qualifies for free school meals but not the others.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

This government has extended eligibility for free school meals (FSM) several times and to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century, most notably through the introduction of universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) FSM in 2014. The result of this is that over a third of pupils in England now receive free meals, compared with one in six in 2010.

The department monitors data on the number of pupils who are eligible for FSM, including estimates for future years, but no formal assessment has been made on the number of children eligible for FSM in 2024 and 2025. The department publishes statistics annually which show that over 2 million pupils are currently eligible for FSM. This is an increase from 1.1 million eligible pupils in 2018, when extensive transitional protections were first introduced.

Protections ensure that children in receipt of FSM will not lose access to this entitlement until at least March 2025, even if their household’s financial circumstances improve. The department does not plan to formally assess the number of children who would no longer be eligible for FSM, in the absence of the protections policy.

The department has always been clear that a child is only eligible for FSM if their family meets the eligibility criteria at the point of applying for FSM. The result may be that in some cases for children in the same household, some may be eligible for FSM whilst others are not. The department does not plan to make an estimate of this figure.

Further information is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#dataBlock-2f5a67c4-6e66-414a-a926-f959d8b6443a-tables.


Written Question
Free School Meals
Friday 19th January 2024

Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the earned income threshold of £7,400 for universal credit claimants under the Free School Lunches and Milk, and School and Early Years Finance (Amendments Relating to Universal Credit) (England) Regulations 2018 on the number of children who will be eligible for free school meals in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

This government has extended eligibility for free school meals (FSM) several times and to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century, most notably through the introduction of universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) FSM in 2014. The result of this is that over a third of pupils in England now receive free meals, compared with one in six in 2010.

The department monitors data on the number of pupils who are eligible for FSM, including estimates for future years, but no formal assessment has been made on the number of children eligible for FSM in 2024 and 2025. The department publishes statistics annually which show that over 2 million pupils are currently eligible for FSM. This is an increase from 1.1 million eligible pupils in 2018, when extensive transitional protections were first introduced.

Protections ensure that children in receipt of FSM will not lose access to this entitlement until at least March 2025, even if their household’s financial circumstances improve. The department does not plan to formally assess the number of children who would no longer be eligible for FSM, in the absence of the protections policy.

The department has always been clear that a child is only eligible for FSM if their family meets the eligibility criteria at the point of applying for FSM. The result may be that in some cases for children in the same household, some may be eligible for FSM whilst others are not. The department does not plan to make an estimate of this figure.

Further information is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#dataBlock-2f5a67c4-6e66-414a-a926-f959d8b6443a-tables.


Written Question
Free School Meals: Universal Credit
Thursday 18th January 2024

Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children were receiving free school meals as the result of the transitional protections associated with the April 2018 introduction of an earned income threshold of £7,400 for universal credit claimants in each year from 2018 to 2023.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The department publishes statistics annually that detail the number of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM). The latest data show that over 2 million pupils are eligible to receive this entitlement, which is 23.8% of all pupils. This is an increase from 1.1 million eligible pupils in 2018, when extensive transitional protections were first introduced. This has ensured that children in receipt of FSM will not lose access to this entitlement, even if their household’s financial circumstances improve.

In addition, this government has extended eligibility for free school meals several times and to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century, most notably through the introduction of universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) in 2014. The result of this is that over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM, compared with just one in six in 2010.

Data on the number of pupils eligible for FSM are based on information provided by schools in their census returns. This does not distinguish pupils who are only eligible as a result of protections, and no longer meet the eligibility criteria for FSM. The department monitors this information but does not have plans to make a formal estimate of the number of pupils who are eligible for FSM under transitional protections only.

Further to this, the department has always been clear that a child is only eligible for FSM if their family meets the eligibility criteria at the point of applying for FSM. The result may be that in some cases for children in the same household, some may be eligible for FSM whilst others are not. The department does not plan to make an estimate of this figure.

Further information is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#dataBlock-2f5a67c4-6e66-414a-a926-f959d8b6443a-tables.


Written Question
Free School Meals: Universal Credit
Thursday 18th January 2024

Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the transitional protections associated with the April 2018 introduction of an earned income threshold of £7,400 for universal credit claimants, if she will make an estimate of the number of families with multiple children in which one or more child does and one or more child does not qualify for free school meals, as at 9 January 2024.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

The department publishes statistics annually that detail the number of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM). The latest data show that over 2 million pupils are eligible to receive this entitlement, which is 23.8% of all pupils. This is an increase from 1.1 million eligible pupils in 2018, when extensive transitional protections were first introduced. This has ensured that children in receipt of FSM will not lose access to this entitlement, even if their household’s financial circumstances improve.

In addition, this government has extended eligibility for free school meals several times and to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century, most notably through the introduction of universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) in 2014. The result of this is that over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM, compared with just one in six in 2010.

Data on the number of pupils eligible for FSM are based on information provided by schools in their census returns. This does not distinguish pupils who are only eligible as a result of protections, and no longer meet the eligibility criteria for FSM. The department monitors this information but does not have plans to make a formal estimate of the number of pupils who are eligible for FSM under transitional protections only.

Further to this, the department has always been clear that a child is only eligible for FSM if their family meets the eligibility criteria at the point of applying for FSM. The result may be that in some cases for children in the same household, some may be eligible for FSM whilst others are not. The department does not plan to make an estimate of this figure.

Further information is available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics#dataBlock-2f5a67c4-6e66-414a-a926-f959d8b6443a-tables.