More than just nutrition

Of the 3.3 million children that eat school meals in England each day, just over one million of these have free school meals. However, it’s estimated that 200,000 children who would qualify for free school meals aren’t registered to have one. 215,000 children are registered but don’t eat them.

Without a free school meal, these children may not be getting the energy and nutrients they need to learn, or in some cases, not enough of the right types of food, to meet their basic needs.

They make sure that children from low-income homes have the opportunity to eat a nutritionally balanced lunch at school that fuels them up for learning and saves their families money. School meals are typically healthier than packed lunches, which tend to be less varied and higher in salt, sugar and saturated fat.

Wider benefits
But free school meals are about more than just nutrition for these children. They are the trigger for Pupil Premium funding to your school, and can help to close the gap between rich and poor. In a pilot scheme where every child at primary schools in Newham and Durham was offered a free meal, they were more likely to eat a better diet at school, do significantly better in class – with an average of two months more progress by pupils at key stages 1 and 2 – and be less fussy about what they ate at home. The improvements in attainment tended to be strongest amongst pupils from less affluent families and amongst those with lower prior attainment.

So how do you get more of your pupils claiming and eating their free school meals if they qualify?

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution that will boost take up, but there are a few key areas to look at. A recent study from the Institute for Social and Economic Research was a reminder that increasing the number of children who normally pay to eat in your canteen is also likely to increase the number of children taking up their free school meals.

So, focus on the experience of school meals for all children. The food, the hustle and bustle of your dining room, having enough time to eat, perceived stigma and being allowed to leave the school site at lunchtime are all factors that influence the take up of both free and paid-for school meals. 

Feeling embarrassed about having free school meals can be the reason why some pupils choose not to claim them. Think about the way you organise your lunchtime to make sure free school meal pupils can’t be identified by others. For secondary schools, cashless systems are a great way to do this. At primary schools, try and be discreet as possible about payment. For example, organise paying for meals away from the classroom.

Be knowledgeable about the application process for free school meals. Get the contact details of the person at your local authority in charge of free school meals and keep a stock of application forms. If it’s an online application in your area, you could arrange to have a computer available in a quiet room during parents evening for people that don’t have a computer at home or need help to fill in the form.

We know many schools are working with parents who can’t speak or read English. We’ve  got a range of free school meals information resources in a number of other different languages commonly used throughout the UK on our website, which you can download and distribute. Posters, flyers and letters will all help you promote the savings and health benefits of free school meals and how to apply for them.

Getting the message across
Change the way parents perceive free school meals. For most people over the age of 25 who grew up in England, their experiences of school meals aren’t memorable for the right reasons. Invite parents into school to try a meal for themselves and show them how far school food has come. Reach out to community and religious centres – or even local shops – to promote free school meals to those parents who may not come into school often.

We’ve been trying this recently in busy supermarkets - a great place to reach parents. ASDA stores have a community board where they display all sorts of information to customers, like local news and events. Most stores also have a Community Life Champion; apart from working in store, they also go out into the community and meet different people – sometimes even visiting schools and teaching pupils about healthy eating.

ASDA kindly agreed to put up our multi-language free school meals posters in every store in the country and the Community Life Champions were sent information so they could tell customers where to apply for free school meals and how to find out if they were eligible.

After just one week Lynn, a Community Life Champion at one of the Sheffield ASDA stores, told us that 30 customers had already asked how they find out if they’re eligible for free school meals and how to register.

The fact that people are asking more questions shows that free school meals messages aren’t always getting through to those who need to hear them – and that no matter how well you promote free school meals at your school, some parents still miss out because they don’t come in.

Think about whether you could approach local businesses in your area – perhaps your local Post Office, shop or doctor’s surgery – and ask them if they’ll put up a poster and stock some flyers, if you provide them. You could try community centres and places of worship too. Some of our resources are available in several different languages, which will help those parents who may not read English.

Valuable feedback
Back in school, find out what pupils really think about school food – you may find there are some simple changes you could make straight away that encourage more pupils to give free school meals a try. If a new menu is being introduced, let pupils sample the recipes and involve them in the decision making.

Understanding the dietary needs of your pupils is essential. For cultural and religious reasons, or due to special dietary requirements, some children entitled to free school meals may feel that the food on offer isn’t suitable for them. Clearly labelling food and taking care when naming your dishes can help pupils to feel more confident about what’s on the menu. For children with specific dietary needs, consider inviting their parents to chat with a member of your catering team to explore possible menu options. 

Invite packed lunch pupils and new pupils to try a meal. A good way to do this is to organise a themed meal linked to the curriculum or a current popular event.

Remember that it’s not just about the food. Make your dining room a calm and welcoming place to come and eat. Changes to lighting, layout or just a fresh coat of paint can work wonders. For best results, get your pupils involved in the design.

Encouraging parents
For every child registered for free school meals, your school will receive £600 in Pupil Premium funding to support their specific needs. Promote this to parents to encourage registration, but remember to emphasise the importance of claiming the meal too.

If you’re looking for extra help, try one of our courses on increasing free school meal take up at your school.  You’ll take away practical resources and a range of examples of how you can do this. The day is also a chance to share your experiences with others facing similar challenges, and to learn from best practice from schools and local authorities across the country.

With the direct link between Pupil Premium funding for your school and registration for free school meals, this course is invaluable if you want to secure additional funding for your pupils who most need it, but more fundamentally, to make sure they also get the benefits of good school food.

With the arrival of Universal Credit, it’s possible that the eligibility criteria for free school meals will change. We don’t yet know how eligibility will be affected, but keep checking the Children’s Food Trust website for news at www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk