A new scheme enabling families to sign up to free school meals has enabled 20,000 more children to be fed.
As well as preventing those children from going hungry, the “auto-enrolment” pilot project is saving households hundreds of pounds a year.
A total of 20 local authorities in England this year decided to identify pupils who qualify and sign them up without waiting for parents to do so. It is now understood another 40 local authorities are considering auto-enrolment, according to the University of York, which led the initiative.
The scheme is also generating millions of pounds in extra funds for schools – because pupil premium grants, intended to help schools cater for pupils facing disadvantage, are linked to the number of children claiming free school meals, providing £1,455 per primary pupil and £1,035 per secondary pupil.
For years, children from some of the poorest households across the country have been missing out…