The available information is shown in the following table.
1997 Number of day pupils1 Number of pupils taking a free school meal on the Census Day Percentage of pupils taking a free school meal on the Census Day2 Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals3 England5 4,428,620 771,780 17.4 938,540 21.2 420 Isles of Scilly 160 17 10.6 19 11.9 857 Rutland6 — — — — — 872 Wokingham6 — — — — — 836 Poole6 — — — — — 825 Buckinghamshire6 — — — — — 835 Dorset6 — — — — — 938 West Sussex 58,168 5,941 10.2 7,496 12.9 925 Lincolnshire 53,619 3,830 7.1 4,597 8.6 867 Bracknell Forest6 — — — — — 865 Wiltshire6 — — — — — 314 Kingston upon Thames 11,530 717 6.2 856 7.4 855 Leicestershire6 — — — — — 868 Windsor and Maidenhead6 — — — — — 869 West Berkshire6 — — — — — 936 Surrey 78,690 6,637 8.4 7,871 10.0 803 South Gloucestershire 22,571 2,259 10.0 2,745 12.2 815 North Yorkshire 47,927 4,435 9.3 5,110 10.7 933 Somerset 38,509 3,855 10.0 4,624 12.0 919 Hertfordshire 92,397 9,452 10.2 11,259 12.2 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 27,126 2,546 9.4 3,158 11.6 884 Herefordshire6 — — — — — 873 Cambridgeshire6 — — — — — 885 Worcestershire6 — — — — — 850 Hampshire6 — — — — — 866 Swindon6 — — — — — 893 Shropshire6 — — — — — 931 Oxfordshire 44,733 4,012 9.0 5,008 11.2 318 Richmond upon Thames 12,074 1,188 9.8 1,611 13.3 877 Warrington6 — — — — — 928 Northamptonshire 54,701 4,940 9.0 6,384 11.7 916 Gloucestershire 46,248 4,929 10.7 6,151 13.3 937 Warwickshire 43,662 4,736 10.8 5,553 12.7 800 Bath and North East Somerset 13,111 1,677 12.8 2,027 15.5 816 York 14,905 1,859 12.5 2,250 15.1 878 Devon6 — — — — — 860 Staffordshire6 — — — — — 881 Essex6 — — — — — 303 Bexley 22,223 3,007 13.5 3,637 16.4 802 North Somerset 14,775 1,777 12.0 2,090 14.1 935 Suffolk 47,239 5,982 12.7 7,554 16.0 820 Bedfordshire6 — — — — — 875 Cheshire6 — — — — — 358 Trafford 21,462 3,399 15.8 4,009 18.7 908 Cornwall 41,862 6,547 15.6 7,784 18.6 356 Stockport 26,941 3,846 14.3 4,661 17.3 886 Kent6 — — — — — 887 Medway6 — — — — — 311 Havering 21,001 2,459 11.7 3,088 14.7 334 Solihull 21,581 2,770 12.8 3,238 15.0 891 Nottinghamshire6 — — — — — 845 East Sussex6 — — — — — 305 Bromley 24,292 3,282 13.5 4,352 17.9 830 Derbyshire6 — — — — — 315 Merton 16,159 2,471 15.3 3,099 19.2 929 Northumberland 21,839 3,345 15.3 3,783 17.3 826 Milton Keynes6 — — — — — 837 Bournemouth6 — — — — — 909 Cumbria 44,762 6,917 15.5 7,904 17.7 319 Sutton 14,630 1,778 12.2 2,070 14.1 813 North Lincolnshire 14,972 2,485 16.6 2,879 19.2 883 Thurrock6 — — — — — 926 Norfolk 66.666 8,913 13.4 10,824 16.2 351 Bury 18,095 2,769 15.3 3,319 18.3 888 Lancashire6 — — — — — 381 Calderdale 20,605 3,478 16.9 4,109 19.9 332 Dudley 30,884 4,394 14.2 5,544 18.0 359 Wigan 30,276 4,838 16.0 5,623 18.6 343 Sefton 28,115 5,465 19.4 7,171 25.5 384 Wakefield 32,956 5,546 16.8 6,572 19.9 382 Kirklees 38,649 7,285 18.8 8,908 23.0 350 Bolton 28,512 5,495 19.3 6,151 21.6 851 Portsmouth6 — — — — — 310 Harrow 19,971 1,643 8.2 2,265 11.3 392 North Tyneside 17,027 3,485 20.5 4,184 24.6 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 28,446 6,1 16 21.6 8,017 28.2 870 Reading6 — — — — — 846 Brighton and Hove6 — — — — — 880 Torbay6 — — — — — 871 Slough6 — — — — — 372 Rotherham 25,822 5,283 20.5 6,298 24.4 879 Plymouth6 — — — — — 357 Tameside 23,830 5,001 21.0 5,703 23.9 808 Stockton-on-Tees 20,531 4,413 21.5 5,206 25.4 882 Southend-on-Sea6 — — — — — 370 Barnsley 22,216 4,765 21.4 5,910 26.6 373 Sheffield 46,380 9,686 20.9 12,895 27.8 312 Hillingdon 22,440 2,017 9.0 2,745 12.2 874 Peterborough6 — — — — — 317 Redbridge 21,103 3,204 15.2 4,036 19.1 371 Doncaster 31,343 7,198 23.0 8,280 26.4 921 Isle of Wight 7,387 1,424 19.3 1,767 23.9 383 Leeds 71,508 12,795 17.9 15,974 22.3 841 Darlington6 — — — — — 840 Durham6 — — — — — 894 Telford and Wrekin6 — — — — — 831 Derby6 — — — — — 342 St. Helens 18,027 3,733 20.7 4,275 23.7 302 Barnet 25,979 3,711 14.3 4,625 17.8 336 Wolverhampton 26,293 5,282 20.1 6,644 25.3 812 North East Lincolnshire 17,265 3,756 21.8 4,211 24.4 335 Walsall 28,743 5,896 20.5 7,081 24.6 331 Coventry 30,478 5,482 18.0 6,726 22.1 380 Bradford 42,327 8,656 20.5 10,661 25.2 394 Sunderland 30,149 7,235 24.0 8,984 29.8 333 Sandwell 32,962 7,061 21.4 8,870 26.9 807 Redcar and Cleveland 16,680 4,152 24.9 4,817 28.9 390 Gateshead 18,566 4,231 22.8 4,995 26.9 353 Oldham 25,111 5,618 22.4 6,747 26.9 805 Hartlepool 10,538 2,732 25.9 3,205 30.4 306 Croydon 30,432 6,379 21.0 7,800 25.6 852 Southampton6 — — — — — 801 Bristol, City of 33,642 7,602 22.6 9,103 27.1 313 Hounslow 19,828 4,049 20.4 5,137 25.9 890 Blackpool6 — — — — — 876 Halton6 — — — — — 821 Luton6 — — — — — 856 Leicester6 — — — — — 354 Rochdale 22,354 5,373 24.0 6,470 28.9 201 City of London 208 83 39.9 107 51.4 301 Barking and Dagenham 17,883 3,873 21.7 4,712 26.3 889 Blackburn with Darwen6 — — — — — 307 Ealing 27,213 5,591 20.5 6,927 25.5 320 Waltham Forest 21,411 5,387 25.2 6,715 31.4 308 Enfield 26,028 4,695 18.0 5,620 21.6 861 Stoke-on-Trent6 — — — — — 344 Wirral 31.875 8,217 25.8 9,632 30.2 393 South Tyneside 16,175 4,818 29.8 5,693 35.2 304 Brent 22,478 5,696 25.3 6,420 28.6 892 Nottingham6 — — — — — 212 Wandsworth 17,874 5,175 29.0 6,305 35.3 209 Lewisham 21,984 6,370 29.0 8,052 36.6 806 Middlesbrough 17,267 4,876 28.2 5,718 33.1 355 Salford 23,828 7,019 29.5 8,128 34.1 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 22,220 7,259 32.7 8,552 38.5 340 Knowsley 19,788 6,915 34.9 8,701 44.0 341 Liverpool 49,345 16,852 34.2 20,283 41.1 309 Haringey 21,610 7,096 32.8 8,279 38.3 203 Greenwich 21,608 6,804 31.5 8,408 38.9 316 Newham 28,543 8,487 29.7 11,094 38.9 330 Birmingham 109,673 32,572 29.7 39,245 35.8 210 Southwark 23,132 8,606 37.2 10,744 46.4 213 Westminster 9,604 3,413 35.5 4,247 44.2 208 Lambeth 19,193 7,309 38.1 8.695 45.3 207 Kensington and Chelsea 6,568 2,324 35.4 3,000 45.7 204 Hackney 18,141 8,046 44.4 9,824 54.2 352 Manchester 46,356 17,956 38.7 21,431 46.2 206 Islington 16,232 6,66)3 41.0 8,049 49.6 202 Camden 11,294 4,130 36.6 5,046 44.7 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 9,465 3,763 39.8 4,440 46.9 211 Tower Hamlets 22,472 10,211 45.4 13,292 59.1 902 Bedfordshire 44,748 7,484 16.7 9,187 20.5 903 Berkshire 64,851 6,828 10.5 8,047 12.4 904 Buckinghamshire 66,291 4,227 6.4 5,641 8.5 905 Cambridgeshire 60,924 7,840 12.9 9,945 16.3 906 Cheshire 92,727 14,177 15.3 16,155 17.4 910 Derbyshire 89,462 13,507 15.1 15,468 17.3 911 Devon 84,938 13,450 15.8 16,027 18.9 912 Dorset 48,479 4,117 8.5 4,684 9.7 913 Durham 57,442 11,478 20.0 13,105 22.8 914 East Sussex 55,821 8,804 15.8 11,372 20.4 915 Essex 136,385 18,654 13.7 23,090 16.9 917 Hampshire 139.425 17,054 12.2 20.493 14.7 918 Hereford and Worcester 52,887 4,304 8.1 5,077 9.6 922 Kent 137,962 19,946 14.5 24,746 17.9 923 Lancashire 135,058 24,719 18.3 31,679 23.5 924 Leicestershire 83,027 11,251 13.6 13,623 16.4 930 Nottinghamshire 96,403 17,975 18.6 22,789 23.6 932 Shropshire 38,067 5,442 14.3 6,169 16.2 934 Staffordshire 96,437 15,286 15.9 18,213 18.9 939 Wiltshire 51,809 5,723 11.0 6,954 13.4
Number of pupils on roll4 Number of pupils taking a free school meal on Census Day Percentage of pupils taking a free school meal on the Census Day2 Number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals3 England5 4,151,970 553,560 13.3 667,180 16.1 420 Isles of Scilly 252 0 0.0 0 0.0 857 Rutland6 2,521 94 3.7 108 4.3 872 Wokingham6 12,164 419 3.4 555 4.6 836 Poole6 10,338 459 4.4 485 4.7 825 Buckinghamshire6 39,646 1,370 3.5 1,938 4.9 835 Dorset6 24,747 1,006 4.1 1,203 4.9 938 West Sussex 57,554 2,433 4.2 3,081 5.4 925 Lincolnshire 52,805 2,379 4.5 2,924 5.5 867 Bracknell Forest6 8,811 426 4.8 601 6.8 865 Wiltshire6 35,512 2,074 5.8 2,460 6.9 314 Kingston upon Thames 11,638 712 6.1 816 7.0 855 Leicestershire6 48,257 2,756 5.7 3,374 7.0 868 Windsor and Maidenhead6 8,470 451 5.3 617 7.3 869 West Berkshire6 12,045 713 5.9 896 7.4 936 Surrey 78,463 4,868 6.2 5,921 7.5 803 South Gloucestershire 22,228 1,300 5.8 1,680 7.6 815 North Yorkshire 44,563 2,858 6.4 3,460 7.8 933 Somerset 36,781 2,425 6.6 2,946 8.0 919 Hertfordshire 92,173 6,126 6.6 7,455 8.1 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 25,694 1.649 6.4 2,142 8.3 884 Herefordshire6 12,985 890 6.9 1,082 8.3 873 Cambridgeshire6 43,878 3,037 6.9 3,673 8.4 885 Worcestershire6 38,329 2,807 7.3 3,248 8.5 850 Hampshire6 97,202 6,495 6.7 8,347 8.6 866 Swindon6 16,906 1,180 7.0 1,494 8.8 893 Shropshire6 21,896 1,673 7.6 1,943 8.9 931 Oxfordshire 46,437 3,117 6.7 4,183 9.0 318 Richmond upon Thames 12,948 955 7.4 1,178 9.1 877 Warrington6 17,389 1,344 7.7 1,600 9.2 928 Northamptonshire 56,463 4,038 7.2 5,260 9.3 916 Gloucestershire 43,458 3,561 8.2 4,131 9.5 937 Warwickshire 40,986 3,296 8.0 3,989 9.7 800 Bath and North East Somerset 12,172 985 8.1 1,201 9.9 816 York 13,443 1,097 8.2 1,338 10.0 878 Devon6 53,189 4,109 7.7 5,295 10.0 860 Staffordshire6 63,925 5,396 8.4 6,465 10.1 881 Essex6 107,125 9,430 8.8 10,801 10.1 303 Bexley 20,689 1,640 7.9 2,100 10.2 802 North Somerset 14,897 1,205 8.1 1,514 10.2 935 Suffolk 45,739 3,693 8.1 4,695 10.3 820 Bedfordshire6 24,938 2,188 8.8 2,604 10.4 875 Cheshire6 54,527 4,974 9.1 5,707 10.5 358 Trafford 19,224 1,830 9.5 2,038 10.6 908 Cornwall 39,150 3,695 9.4 4,303 11.0 356 Stockport 23,415 2,219 9.5 2,653 11.3 886 Kent6 110,266 10,448 9.5 12,458 11.3 887 Medway6 22,472 2,175 9.7 2,535 11.3 311 Havering 19,402 1,618 8.3 2,217 11.4 334 Solihull 19,897 1,681 8.4 2,274 11.4 891 Nottinghamshire6 63,381 5,676 9.0 7,291 11.5 845 East Sussex6 36,289 3,491 9.6 4,232 11.7 305 Bromley 23,928 2,364 9.9 2.861 12.0 830 Derbyshire6 62,369 6,312 10.1 7,501 12.0 315 Merton 14,980 1,437 9.6 1,811 12.1 929 Northumberland 19,358 2,140 11.1 2,343 12.1 826 Milton Keynes6 20,989 1,948 9.3 2,606 12.4 837 Bournemouth6 10,525 1,054 10.0 1,321 12.6 909 Cumbria 39,741 4,457 11.2 5,066 12.7 319 Sutton 14,800 1,547 10.5 1,916 12.9 813 North Lincolnshire 13,986 1,602 11.5 1,828 13.1 883 Thurrock6 13,812 1,432 10.4 1,854 13.4 926 Norfolk 65,134 7,060 10.8 8,763 13.5 351 Bury 15,995 1,899 11.9 2,186 13.7 888 Lancashire6 93,269 11,351 12.2 12,951 13.9 381 Calderdale 18,661 2,363 12.7 2,699 14.5 332 Dudley 28,281 3,386 12.0 4,271 15.1 359 Wigan 26,162 3,303 12.6 4,076 15.6 343 Sefton 23,307 2,865 12.3 3,717 15.9 384 Wakefield 28,722 3,569 12.4 4,571 15.9 382 Kirklees 35,811 4,843 13.5 5,738 16.0 350 Bolton 25,438 3,743 14.7 4,099 16.1 851 Portsmouth6 14,071 1,775 12.6 2,299 16.3 310 Harrow 19,593 2,917 14.9 3,211 16.4 392 North Tyneside 16,171 2,301 14.2 2,653 16.4 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 22,033 3,081 14.0 3,620 16.4 870 Reading6 10,223 1,424 13.9 1,678 16.4 846 Brighton and Hove6 17,080 2,186 12.8 2,818 16.5 880 Torbay6 9,836 1,312 13.3 1,625 16.5 871 Slough6 11,554 1,558 13.5 1,917 16.6 372 Rotherham 23,690 3,251 13.7 4,010 16.9 879 Plymouth6 19,274 2,696 14.0 3,253 16.9 357 Tameside 20,088 3,027 15.1 3,417 17.0 808 Stockton-on-Tees 17,269 2,682 15.5 2,947 17.1 882 Southend-on-Sea6 14,152 1,896 13.4 2,450 17.3 370 Barnsley 20,433 2,936 14.4 3,556 17.4 373 Sheffield 42,561 6,157 14.5 7,435 17.5 312 Hillingdon 24,099 3,249 13.5 4,235 17.6 874 Peterborough6 15,274 2,386 15.6 2,684 17.6 317 Redbridge 24,124 3,268 13.5 4,263 17.7 371 Doncaster 27,165 4,180 15.4 4,809 17.7 921 Isle of Wight 6,995 994 14.2 1,244 17.8 383 Leeds 61,446 9,009 14.7 11,247 18.3 841 Darlington6 8,848 1,393 15.7 1,639 18.5 840 Durham6 41,360 6,451 15.6 7,751 18.7 894 Telford and Wrekin6 15,160 2,350 15.5 2,828 18.7 831 Derby6 21,605 3,396 15.7 4,089 18.9 342 St. Helens 15,575 2,432 15.6 3,021 19.4 302 Barnet 26,041 4,225 16.2 5,087 19.5 336 Wolverhampton 22,709 3,631 16.0 4,418 19.5 812 North East Lincolnshire 14,029 2,074 14.8 2,788 19.9 335 Walsall 26,077 3,964 15.2 5,216 20.0 331 Coventry 27,015 4,455 16.5 5,430 20.1 380 Bradford 51,314 8,485 16.5 10,331 20.1 394 Sunderland 24,273 4,377 18.0 4,919 20.3 333 Sandwell 29,887 4,950 16.6 6,128 20.5 807 Redcar and Cleveland 13,242 2,456 18.5 2,709 20.5 390 Gateshead 16,205 2,901 17.9 3,399 21.0 353 Oldham 23,302 4,274 18.3 4,910 21.1 805 Hartlepool 9,195 1,802 19.6 1,948 21.2 306 Croydon 29,389 4,919 16.7 6,301 21.4 852 Southampton6 16,039 2,737 17.1 3,437 21.4 801 Bristol, City of 29,374 5,282 18.0 6,373 21.7 313 Hounslow 18,924 3,505 18.5 4,116 21.8 890 Blackpool6 11,812 2,111 17.9 2,635 22.3 876 Halton6 10,170 1,978 19.4 2,277 22.4 821 Luton6 18,468 3,645 19.7 4.228 22.9 856 Leicester6 28,260 5,732 20.3 6,620 23.4 354 Rochdale 19,595 3,797 19.4 4,642 23.7 201 City of London 231 49 21.2 55 23.8 301 Barking and Dagenham 18,485 3,762 20.4 4,432 24.0 889 Blackburn with Darwen6 14,770 2,986 20.2 3,548 24.0 307 Ealing 26,059 5,101 19.6 6,276 24.1 320 Waltham Forest 21,753 4,408 20.3 5,350 24.6 308 Enfield 27,198 5,712 21.0 6,727 24.7 861 Stoke-on-Trent6 20,841 4,535 21.8 5,173 24.8 344 Wirral 26,456 5,384 20.4 6,682 25.3 393 South Tyneside 12,751 2,799 22.0 3,222 25.3 304 Brent 23,128 5,454 23.6 6.238 27.0 892 Nottingham6 23,537 5,327 22.6 6,356 27.0 212 Wandsworth 17,412 4,244 24.4 4,741 27.2 209 Lewisham 21,971 4,579 20.8 6.121 27.9 806 Middlesbrough 13,926 3,397 24.4 3,889 27.9 355 Salford 19,464 4,944 25.4 5,532 28.4 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 19.694 4,995 25.4 5,630 28.6 340 Knowsley 15,518 3,586 23.1 4,538 29.2 341 Liverpool 38,211 10,018 26.2 12,320 32.2 309 Haringey 21,964 6,127 27.9 7,189 32.7 203 Greenwich 21,206 5,484 25.9 7,070 33.3 316 Newham 30,544 8,617 28.2 10,164 33.3 330 Birmingham 101,191 28,241 27.9 33,745 33.3 210 Southwark 22,848 6,482 28.4 7,896 34.6 213 Westminster 11,021 3,662 33.2 4,028 36.5 208 Lambeth 20,096 6,402 31.9 7,492 37.3 207 Kensington and Chelsea 7,052 2,309 32.7 2,713 38.5 204 Hackney 18,051 6,002 33.3 7,038 39.0 352 Manchester 40,814 14,037 34.4 16,848 41.3 206 Islington 14,292 5,031 35.2 6,016 42.1 202 Camden 11,436 3,807 33.3 4,888 42.7 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 9,707 3,687 38.0 4,163 42.9 211 Tower Hamlets 22,397 9,651 43.1 11,798 52.7 902 Bedfordshire — — — — — 903 Berkshire — — — — — 904 Buckinghamshire — — — — — 905 Cambridgeshire — — — — — 906 Cheshire — — — — — 910 Derbyshire — — — — — 911 Devon — — — — — 912 Dorset — — — — — 913 Durham — — — — — 914 East Sussex — — — — — 915 Essex — — — — — 917 Hampshire — — — — — 918 Hereford and Worcester — — — — — 922 Kent — — — — — 923 Lancashire — — — — — 924 Leicestershire — — — — — 930 Nottinghamshire — — — — — 932 Shropshire — — — — — 934 Staffordshire — — — — — 939 Wiltshire — — — — — 1 Includes dually registered pupils. Excludes boarding pupils. 2 The number of pupils taking a free school meal on the Census Day expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils on roll. 3 The number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals expressed as a percentage of the number of pupils on roll. 4 Includes dually registered pupils. Includes boarding pupils. 5 National totals have been rounded to the nearest 10. 6 Before Local Government Reorganisation. 7 Provisional. Source: Schools’ Census
The Department has commissioned research to assess compliance with statutory National Nutritional Standards and to measure food consumption in maintained schools in England. A study of ‘School Meals in Secondary Schools in England’ reported in 2004 (DfES Research Report 557). A similar ‘Study of School Meals in Primary Schools in England’ has been conducted, and reported on 29 June 2006 (DfES Research Report 753).
The Annual Schools Census collects data on free school meal eligibility and take up. An internal DfES survey of local authorities (LA) was conducted in November 2005 to assess the nature of school meal provision and providers, the patter of commercial provision and contractual arrangements.
The Department has asked the School Food Trust (SFT) as part of its remit to monitor progress on school meals and report regularly to the Department. The SFT plans to collect information about school meals provision using several approaches. First, they are working with Ofsted and the national Healthy Schools Programme to develop a way of assessing whether or not the new DfES standards for school meals are being met. The intention is for this to be completed by early 2007. Second, they plan to undertake national sample surveys of primary and secondary schools’ food provision and consumption, similar to the two studies commissioned by the Department. These provide baseline information against which the change in the national profile of provision and consumption of foods in school meals can be evaluated. The timing and scale of the national sample surveys will be confirmed by the end of August 2006. Finally, the SFT has just completed a survey addressed to all local authority catering providers in England to assess school meal take-up, the costs of providing a school meal, factors believed to be associated with increases or decreases in take-up, and perceived barriers to change. The survey will be published in July 2006 and repeated annually at the end of each financial year.