News

Universal credit: an impending ‘disaster’ for FSM pupils

The government has yet to decide how the universal credit benefits system will interact with free school meals, and...

Alix Robertson
Alix Robertson
News

Investigation: Schools face postcode lottery in free school meals take-up

Figures released last week reveal that registration for means-tested free school meals – which is linked to pupil premium...

Freddie Whittaker
Freddie Whittaker
News

Corbyn fails to dish up evidence on free meals as councils admit there is none

Jeremy Corbyn’s claim that councils that provide free meals to all primary pupils are boosting attainment and health has...

Billy Camden
Billy Camden
News

£100k per council would abolish holiday hunger, MPs claim

A cross-parliamentary group of MPs have said handing every local authority just over £100,000 a year would end holiday...

John Dickens
John Dickens
Opinion

How should we define ‘disadvantaged’ pupils?

Separating pupils into those who qualify for free schools meals and those who don’t does little to highlight the...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor
News

EEF trial finds breakfast clubs more effective than infant free school meals

Breakfast clubs are more cost-effective than the government’s flagship £1 billion universal infant free school meals policy in improving...

Jess Staufenberg
Jess Staufenberg
Opinion

Free school meals are still the best measure of deprivation

It may not be the clearest way to allocate extra funds to disadvantaged pupils, but it’s the best there...

Expert Contributor
Expert Contributor