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Free School Meals: Enfield North

Answer

Since 2010, the number of pupils receiving a free school meal (FSM) has increased by more than two million. This increase in provision is due to the introduction of Universal Infant Free School Meals and protections put in place as benefit recipients move across to Universal Credit. Over a third of pupils in England now receive FSM, compared with one in six in 2010.

The Department believes that the current eligibility threshold level, which enables pupils in low income households to benefit from FSM, while remaining affordable and deliverable for schools, is the right one. The Department does not have plans to change the current eligibility conditions for FSM. The Department continues to keep eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them. The Department also continues to monitor the consequences of the rising cost of living and is working with other Government Departments to provide support to disadvantaged families.

The Department monitors the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils. The latest published statistics on the attainment gap are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-2-attainment (see attainment by pupil characteristics), and: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance-revised/2021-22 (see attainment by disadvantage status).

The attainment gap narrowed by 9% at secondary school level and by 13% at primary school level between 2011 and 2019. For over a decade, the Department has consistently taken a range of steps to give priority support and deliver programmes that help disadvantaged pupils, including improving the quality of teaching and curriculum resources, strengthening the school system, and providing targeted support where needed. The Department understands that disadvantaged children have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

At a national level, the Department delivers a number of core policies to support disadvantaged pupils including FSM, the holiday activities and food programme, where we are investing over £200m a year for the next two years, and support for 2,500 breakfast clubs and family hubs. Additionally, the Department is also ensuring better targeting of deprivation factors through the National Funding Formula (over 9% of all funding), as well as record amounts of Pupil Premium funding, £2.6 billion in 2022/23 financial year and £2.9 billion this financial year.

The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) funds schools based on rates of disadvantage. Since the launch of the NTP in November 2020, more than £1 billion has been made available to support tutoring. From November 2020 to academic year 2023/24, nearly four million tutoring courses have been started, up to July 2023. By 2024, the Department will have embedded tutoring across schools in England. The Department expects tutoring to continue to be a staple offer from schools, with schools using their core budgets, including Pupil Premium, to fund targeted support for those children who will benefit.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

200011

Session

2022-23

Subjects

Eligibility Free school meals Enfield North

Link

View this Written question on www.parliament.uk