New figures reveal an increase in the rate of pupils eligible for free-school meals, as the government announced this week an expansion of eligibility requirements.
This morning, the Department for Education has released new statistics on school and pupil characteristics in England, revealing an over the year increase of nearly 1% in the rate of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) in the academic year 2024/2025, to 25.7%. This amounts to 2.2 million FSM eligible pupils.
The number of pupils eligible is expected to rise by over half a million as the Labour government is set to expand entitlement to all children in households in receipt of Universal Credit benefits.
In state-funded secondary schools, 25.9% of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, whilst in primary schools this rate is 24.7%. In special schools, FSM eligibility rates are higher, at 49.3%, possibly due to differences in eligibility criteria.
The data team at Polimapper has visualised new free school meals figures from the Department for Education by English local authority.
On a regional level, the North East (32.3%) saw the highest rate of FSM eligible pupils.
The visualisation shows that Manchester had the highest percentage of free school meals’ eligible pupils, at 47.3%. This was followed by the London areas of Islington (45.8%), Hackney (45%) and Camden (44.9%).
Lowest rates of FSM eligibility were in Wokingham (10.2%), Rutland (12.9%), Bracknell Forest (12.9%), and Central Bedfordshire (14%). Explore statistics in your area below.
About this map
The visualisation below shows free school meals statistics from the DfE by local authority area in England.
To view figures in your area use the search bar above or click here to launch the full page.
Geodata context
Yesterday, the Department for Education announced that “Over half a million more children will benefit from a free nutritious meal every school day, as the government puts £500 back into parents’ pockets every year by expanding eligibility for free school meals.”
The plans set out that, from the start of the 2026 school year, every pupil whose household is on Universal Credit will have a new entitlement to free school meals.
Nick Harrison, chief executive at the Sutton Trust: “This is a significant step towards taking hunger out of the classroom. Children can’t learn effectively when hungry, so this announcement not only helps to tackle the effects of child poverty, but will also likely help improve education outcomes for disadvantaged young people.
“Giving free school meals to all families who are eligible for Universal Credit is also easier for parents to understand, so has the potential to increase take up rates. This is an important milestone in delivering on the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity.”
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders: “There’s some detail to be worked through on exactly how this transition will work and we look forward to talking with the government about that. But, certainly, expanding free school meal eligibility in this way is absolutely the right thing to do.”
Kate Anstey, head of education policy at Child Poverty Action Group: “This is fantastic news and a game-changer for children and families.”
“We hope this is a sign of what’s to come in autumn’s child poverty strategy, with government taking more action to meet its manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty in the UK.”