News-Thousands of families auto enrolled for free school meals

Left to right: Karen Longhorne from Chartwells catering team, Joanne Bromley, head teacher at King Street Primary School, Cllr Alan Shield, and Lileen Esler from our catering team

We ran a pilot project which saw nearly 2,500 children automatically enrolled for free school meals following a data matching exercise on their family's eligibility.

This means that 1,727 households eligible for free school meals were automatically signed up to the scheme, saving the families an average of £400 per child per year on food costs.

Schools in County Durham will also benefit from this initiative through eligibility for the government's pupil premium grant, where they will receive extra funding for every child that is registered for free school meals.

Our auto enrolment project has meant schools across the county will be getting an additional £3 million of funding next year which can be used towards extra support in the classroom.

Maximising benefits for families and schools

Cllr Alan Shield, our Cabinet member for equality and inclusion, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be pioneering this scheme which maximises benefits for pupils, their families, and our schools.

"The auto enrolment scheme ensures we can reach as many families as possible to offer them free school meals. Families can save money on food costs at a time where the cost of living is high, and their children are benefitting from nutritious meals while in school. These families are also eligible for further help with things like holiday clubs and financial support from government, which we can identify through the free school meals scheme.

"It also gives a big funding boost to schools, which can use the extra funding they will receive through the pupil premium to support families and children who need it most. It can be used for tutoring for pupils; staff training and development; or support to help children attend school regularly, improve behaviour, or look after their social and emotional wellbeing."

Access to nutritious food

Joanne Bromley, headteacher of King Street Primary School in Spennymoor, said: "For many reasons, eligible families have often missed out on the opportunity to have free school meals and this scheme will ensure that all eligible children access a healthy, nutritious lunch. This supports children's learning and wellbeing. However, it also benefits the child by offering the opportunity to try many new foods alongside their peers, while also supporting parents during the current cost of living crisis."