The Children & Families Scrutiny Committee recently produced a report showcasing a marked increase in the number of students eligible for free school meals. 

Pupils are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) where their parents are in receipt of certain benefits, or are in receipt of Universal Credit and have a household income of less than £7,400 a year. 

As of the 2022 census, around 19.1% of pupils in Stockport are eligible - almost one in five.  

This represents a 44% increase since 2015. A year prior in 2014, just over half of all wards had less than 10% eligibility.  

The report suggests that this sizeable recent increase is partly down to the cost of living crisis - particularly the rise in staple food prices which makes it harder for families to feed their children. 

It also notes that levels began to increase more dramatically around the start of the pandemic.  

The committee draws attention the distribution of eligible pupils; although there is a spread across the borough, there is still high polarisation with many being concentrated in more disadvantaged areas.  

The Stockport borough in fact contains both areas in the top 1% of least deprived, as well as areas in the top 1% of most deprived.

The report argues: "This deprivation gap is translated over to educational attainment, with only 25% of children in Brinnington and Central Ward achieving 5 A*-C GCSEs."

The committee concludes that this is partly down to food provision in schools: "The Cabinet are dedicated to ensuring that our most disadvantaged children are not left behind, in line with the levelling up agenda.

"In order to do this, we must ensure that every child has the nutrition they need to be able to work and learn in the school day, as well as enjoy their time in the school environment."

In line with this, the report states the importance of matching funding for free school meals with the corresponding rise in eligibility.  

It also proposed some wider-ranging and ambitious reforms; chiefly a temporary extension of free school meals to all pupils, regardless of eligibility.  

Recognising the 'humiliation' felt by working-class children who do not have access to the same resources as some of their peers, and the fact that "a hot and nutritious school meal improves children's concentration and behaviour during lessons and positively impacts on school attendance, children's health and academic performance", the committee emphasised the benefits of universal provision. 

In light of these conclusions, the report council meeting resolved to contact Gillian Keegan MP, secretary of state for education, to call for: "An alleviation of financial pressure on hard working families struggling to feed their children during the cost-of-living crisis by implementing an urgent extension of free school meals to ensure universal provision for all school age groups, for a time limited period to match the cost of living crisis;

"A simultaneous review of the eligibility criteria and realistic threshold that would increase the number of children entitled to free school meals, with universal provision to end only once a more realistic threshold has been implemented;

"Food provision for children on free school meals during the school holidays as standard."

Updates on the report and the reception of the aforementioned requests are pending.

Please note that the pupils pictured are not necessarily in receipt of free school meals.

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