New research from the Covid Realities project and the Child Poverty Action Group (Patrick et al, 2021) says that restrictive eligibility criteria and barriers to FSM take-up are to blame.
The majority of those missing out are in England (900,000; 37 per cent) and Wales (55,000; 42 per cent), while Scotland (25,000; 17 per cent) and Northern Ireland (20,000; 22 per cent) fare relatively better.
Campaigners ultimately want to see school meals offered to every pupil, something which the report estimates would cost £1.75bn a year. In addition, families with no recourse to public funds, often due to their immigration status, should also be allowed access to FSMs.
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting SecEd and reading some of our content for professionals in secondary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcast
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday and Thursday
Already have an account? Sign in here