Free school meals auto-enrolment feed 300 children

More than 300 additional children in Stockton-on-Tees will receive free school meals thanks to an auto-enrolment pilot run by the Council.

As part of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's A Fairer Stockton-on-Tees strategic approach to tackling inequalities and the 'Powering our Future' transformation programme, the Council has identified families who qualify for free school meals but do not currently receive them.

The scheme ensures that all eligible households have been auto-enrolled to receive the meals if they wish and have access to other out-of-school initiatives, including Holidays are Fun (HAF). It also ensures that schools secure additional Pupil Premium Funding, enabling them to provide extra support for disadvantaged pupils.

Through the scheme, 324 schoolchildren have been enrolled - this includes 203 pupils across 42 primary schools and £294,350 additional pupil premium funding secured. 

A further 121 pupils across 20 secondary schools have been registered for free school meals and £127,050 additional pupil premium funding secured. 

Councillor Lisa Evans, the Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "There are hundreds of families in the Borough who are eligible for free school meals but for one reason or another are not signed up to receive them. Through this scheme we have been able to identify those households and with their consent, their children have been automatically enrolled to receive a hot, healthy lunch.

"It's vitally important that all children have access to nutritious meals to support their learning so we are very pleased we can offer this to pupils. The auto-enrolment will also help parents and carers to save on the cost of daily lunches, which we know can add pressure to some families' budgets."

The pilot scheme was endorsed by the Council's Cabinet in October 2024 and will be considered for the new academic year in September 2025.

To find out more about Powering our Future, visit the Powering our Future webpage.