In a bid to revolutionize the education system and ensure equitable opportunities for all children, a new education bill proposes significant changes, including the automatic enrolment of eligible pupils for free school meals. The bill, which the Department for Education (DfE) has welcomed, aims to break the persistent link between a child's background and their chances of success. This initiative is spearheaded by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who has hailed the bill as "landmark" legislation designed to "seek to keep children safe."
The bill's most notable feature is the introduction of a unique identifier number for each child, akin to a National Insurance number, aimed at improving safeguarding measures. This would also streamline the process of identifying eligible students for free school meals. Currently, families must manually apply for these meals, resulting in many children missing out due to language barriers and administrative challenges.
Campaigners argue that automatic enrolment could bring millions in additional funding through pupil premium grants. Paul Whiteman emphasized the multi-faceted benefits of the proposal:
"Crucially, enrolment for free school meals also unlocks pupil premium money for pupils, so without registration they also miss out on this vital additional support." – Paul Whiteman
Despite its potential benefits, the bill faces opposition, particularly concerning its proposals on academies. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has criticized these aspects, labeling them as "educational vandalism."
"Too often social stigma means parents do not register." – Paul Whiteman
Helen Hayes, reflecting on recommendations from the committee, noted the importance of strengthening support for vulnerable children:
"The committee has made recommendations designed to strengthen support for the most vulnerable children in society, based on compelling evidence from experts and from young people who shared with us their deeply moving experiences of life in care." – Helen Hayes
The current eligibility criteria for free school meals in England include families on universal credit with a household income below £7,400 per year after tax and other benefits. As of June 2024, around 2.1 million children were known to be eligible, representing nearly a quarter of pupils. However, an estimated 471,000 children are reportedly missing out on these vital meals due to the current manual application system, with one in ten children living in poverty not receiving them.
The government provides schools with financial support for each pupil enrolled in free school meals—£1,455 per primary pupil and £1,035 per secondary pupil annually for at least six years. Automatic enrolment stands to enhance this funding stream by ensuring no child eligible is overlooked.
