The current system for free school meal (FSM) registration is inefficient and fundamentally hinders our ability to effectively support our most vulnerable students. But a proposal for going through parliament this week offers a much-needed solution.
The Free School Meals (Automatic Registration of Eligible Children) Bill is a private members’ bill proposed by Peter Lamb MP (Labour). Its title is self-explanatory, and its effect would be to streamline processes and ensure resources reach the pupils who need them most.
Currently, families need to apply for FSM. This process may seem straightforward but presents significant barriers.
As school leaders, we know how bureaucracy can be a challenge for many of our families. This results in significant numbers of children who are entitled to FSM simply not being registered, with profound implications, not just for the children who miss out on meals but on eligibility for other support during school holidays and discounts.
Registration for FSM also acts as a crucial trigger for the pupil premium. This additional funding is vital for schools like ours to target support for disadvantaged pupils.
When eligible children are not registered, we don’t just miss out on this crucial funding; children’s needs are also not given official recognition, which makes it harder to allocate resources effectively.
We will always stretch what we have. No one will go without the help they need. But there is no good reason not to streamline and automate the flow of funding to eligible pupils.
As well as these effects on schools and families, there are wider policy implications too.
FSM data suffers from a disconnect. There’s a bureaucratic brick wall between the official numbers and the reality on the ground.
Aside from the issue of fairness, it means available funds are not being spent
Treasury plans are based on this data, yet we are still asking parents who may be facing considerable challenges to actively register. Aside from a fundamental issue of fairness in asking struggling families to jump through hoops to unlock funding they are entitled to, it means available funds are not being spent.
Automatic enrolment would bypass this hurdle. And let’s be clear: It’s not about new money. This money is already in the system, but the system doesn’t let the funds flow.
Furthermore, as data experts have pointed out, the current system undermines the very use of FSM registration in research and policymaking, as pointed out by EPI last week. If the data is incomplete, it gives a warped view of where funding actually needs to go.
It is common to see schools providing food banks, pre-loved uniform supplies, lifts to essential appointments and more. In one of our schools, there is a room in reception where parents can access both food and clothing quietly as they need, something we know is an essential life line for some.
Like many, I’m happy to never to refer to Covid again. But it is a part of this story, as shown by the findings of a Sutton Trust report last year. The same report highlights that the progress made in narrowing the achievement gap for disadvantaged students in the early 2010s has been undone since 2020.
Schools play a vital role in the daily lives of the most vulnerable families in our communities. We provide essential support to those living near the poverty line. Whether through routine and high expectations, targeted interventions or wider support, this needs funding properly.
So while politicians knock the benefits system debate around in the political ring and decide which levers to pull to bring financial stability, the case for automatic enrolment for free school meals is unarguable.
It would ensure more pupils get the meals they should, that schools receive the lifeline funding they need, and that policy to tackle disadvantage is based on more accurate evidence.
It’s rare to see a private members’ bill make it into law. But at the very least the current debate in parliament highlights a vital issue for schools in every constituency.
Here’s hoping all MPs get behind it, and the government hears them.
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