Member

189: After Clause 28, insert the following new Clause— “Review of free school meal eligibility and pupil premium registration(1) The Secretary of State must, within six months of the day on which this Act is passed, conduct a review of—(a) the number of children in England who are eligible for free school meals but are not claiming them,(b) the number of children who are eligible for free school meals but are not registered for the purposes of pupil premium funding,(c) the number of additional children who would be eligible for free school meals if the income thresholds had been uprated in line with inflation since 2018, and(d) the number of additional children who would be eligible for free school meals if the income thresholds were set at £20,000 per annum after tax.(2) A review under subsection (1) must include an assessment of—(a) barriers preventing eligible children from claiming free school meals,(b) disparities in take-up rates across different regions and demographics, and(c) the financial and educational impact of under-registration on schools and local authorities.(3) The Secretary of State must lay a report before Parliament setting out the findings of the review, including any recommendations for improving registration for and take-up of free school meals and pupil premium funding.(4) The review and report required under this section must be repeated annually.”Member’s explanatory statement This amendment requires a review of free school meal eligibility and pupil premium registration.