PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Primary Education: Free School Meals (13 April 2018)

The Department for Education and the Department for Health carried out a robust pilot of universal free school meals between 2009 and 2011. The evaluation of this pilot found that take-up of school meals was significantly higher in the pilot areas compared with control areas, and there was a significant positive impact on attainment for primary school pupils, with pupils in the pilot areas making between four and eight weeks’ more progress than similar pupils in comparison areas.

Take-up of the meals is a key success measure for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM), and we monitor this on a termly basis through the schools census. We know that a balanced and nutritious meal, which includes vegetables and fruit, is good for the health and well-being of children. According to the latest figures, 1.5 million infant pupils (excluding those eligible for benefits-based free school meals) took a lunch on census day – a take-up rate of 85.9%.