Free school meal uptake

Request data on free school meal registration and uptake rates by school.

Free school meals are an important indicator of child poverty and a key measure of whether eligible families are taking up the support available. Uptake data by school helps identify where families may be missing out.

Dear [AUTHORITY NAME], Please provide the following information for [SCHOOL YEAR e.g. 2024-25]: 1. The total number of pupils registered for free school meals, broken down by primary and secondary. 2. The average daily uptake rate for free school meals, broken down by school. 3. The number of pupils entitled to a free school meal who are not registered. I would prefer to receive this as a spreadsheet or CSV if possible. Yours faithfully, [YOUR NAME]
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Who to send it to#

Your local council’s education department. Find your council on the Commissioner’s directory of Scottish public authorities. You can also send your request through WhatDoTheyKnow, which publishes responses online.

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Tips#

  • All primary school pupils in P1 to P5 in Scotland are entitled to a universal free school meal. This request is most useful for P6–P7 and secondary school data, where entitlement is means-tested.
  • The Scottish Government publishes national data on free school meal registrations in its annual school meals statistics. Check this publication before submitting your request.
  • A gap between entitlement and registration (item 3) may indicate that families are not aware of or are not claiming the support available.