Schools formula exploits dinner data

The School Food Trust (SFT) is raising concerns that some schools in England ask eligible parents to sign up for dinners they do not intend to have in order to boost the amount of money they get under the new pupil premium.

SFT chief executive Judy Hargadon warned that schools are being “short-sighted” and said the Government was sending a “confusing” message on the importance of free dinners.

The pupil premium, a key initiative for the coalition Government, is extra funding attached to disadvantaged children, following them as they move schools.

It is given to pupils who are eligible for free school meals (FSM) – a measure of poverty.

But a notice on the Government’s directgov website says: “If your child is eligible for free school meals, it’s worth registering them even if they’re not going to have the school lunch.

“This is because schools receive a pupil premium – an extra payment for each eligible child which they can spend on useful services.”

It also says: “Registering for free school meals doesn’t mean your child will have to eat the school lunch – there are other benefits.”

Ms Hargadon said: “I’m delighted about the pupil premium itself. The idea that you give additional funding to schools that have got children that have more need than others is a brilliant idea.

“We are, and have been, encouraging schools to sign pupils up to free school meals so they get the meals, so we are very concerned when we come across examples of schools saying ‘you don’t have to eat the meals’.

“That indicates to us that they are not registering the importance of children getting these meals.”

For some children, a school dinner is their only, or main meal of the day, Ms Hargadon said, adding that the Trust had done much work with schools to overcome parents’ concerns about free meals, such as stigmatising children.