REDCAR and Cleveland Council’s Cabinet have today, 18 March, agreed to support the continuation of the auto-enrolment of free school meals in the area, following the delivery of a successful pilot project last year.
The pilot programme helped to maximise free school meal entitlement in Redcar and Cleveland by auto-enrolling households who met the criteria but who had not opted in for free school meals. It also provided a financial benefit to schools in the area by ensuring they received the maximum benefit of pupil premium funding which is used by schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
Cabinet Member for Children, Cllr Bill Suthers, said:
“The Council is committed to reducing child poverty in the borough and supporting all our children and young people to fulfil their potential.
“This initiative provides each household on average, a saving of £400 per year per pupil and ensures some of the areas most vulnerable children are receiving a healthy balanced meal. It also provides an increase in financial benefit to our schools through the pupil premium funding.
“The pilot has delivered significant results already with 372 more pupils qualifying for free school meals and a further £534,650 identified in pupil premium funding. It has also resulted in more pupils having access to the holiday and activities food programme in Redcar and Cleveland.
“I am delighted that Cabinet have backed the continuation of the programme and look forward to seeing it go from strength to strength in supporting the area’s children and young people.”
At the meeting Cabinet agreed to:
- the continuation of the auto-enrolment process which takes a proactive approach to ensure that all children who are eligible for free school meals are identified and enrolled, which in turn maximises the pupil premium funding.
- the initiative to continue to be offered free of charge to the schools and reviewed on an annual basis.
All schools in the Redcar and Cleveland area were consulted during the pilot project and agreed to take part in the programme.
In December 2024, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council united with 100 other organisations in an open letter to Government calling for pupils who meet the eligibility criteria but are not yet signed up to free school meals, to be automatically enrolled. The Council was one of 24 Local Authorities to add their signature to the letter, which implores Government to use the upcoming Children’s Wellbeing Bill to enable all children who are entitled to a free school meal to be automatically enrolled.