Over two million pupils were eligible for free school meals in England in the 2022/23 academic year, compared with 1.89 million pupils in 2021/22. The issue of free school meals came to the fore during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, when free school meals were replaced by a voucher scheme in the lockdown and Easter holidays. Although the voucher system was initially not supposed to extend to the summer holidays, a pressure campaign by English footballer, Marcus Rashford resulted in a government U-turn, on the issue, resulting in the voucher scheme covering the summer.
Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in England from 2015/16 to 2022/23
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GOV.UK. (June 8, 2023). Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in England from 2015/16 to 2022/23 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 10, 2024, from https://internal.statista.com/statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/
GOV.UK. "Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in England from 2015/16 to 2022/23." Chart. June 8, 2023. Statista. Accessed June 10, 2024. https://internal.statista.com/statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/
GOV.UK. (2023). Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in England from 2015/16 to 2022/23. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 10, 2024. https://internal.statista.com/statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/
GOV.UK. "Number of Pupils Known to Be Eligible for Free School Meals in England from 2015/16 to 2022/23." Statista, Statista Inc., 8 Jun 2023, https://internal.statista.com/statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/
GOV.UK, Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in England from 2015/16 to 2022/23 Statista, https://internal.statista.com/statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/ (last visited June 10, 2024)
Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals in England from 2015/16 to 2022/23 [Graph], GOV.UK, June 8, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://internal.statista.com/statistics/1182077/free-school-meals-uk/