Agenda item

11.20

The Children and Families Bill, placed a duty on state-funded schools in England  to provide  free school meals for all Reception, year 1 and year 2 children with effect from September 2014. The Education Scrutiny Committee received a progress report on the introduction of the new arrangements in July 2014 and subsequently asked for a report on the costs of the new arrangements. This report is the response to that request.

John Mitchell, Assistant to the Director for Children’s Services to present the associated implementation costs to schools and the council including consideration to the consequences of parents not declaring FSM

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note this report

The Children and Families Bill, placed a duty on state-funded schools in England to provide free school meals for all Reception, year 1 and year 2 children with effect from September 2014. The Education Scrutiny Committee received a progress report on the introduction of the new arrangements in July 2014 and subsequently asked for a report on the costs of the new arrangements. This report is the response to that request.

John Mitchell, Assistant to the Director for Children’s Services presented a report on the associated implementation costs to schools and the council including considerationto the consequences of parents not declaring FSM. In relation to paragraph 13 he updated the Committee that 4 bids had been successful and paid tribute to Gail Witchell and the Team in Corporate Facilities Management who had assembled the bids.

Referring to the concerns that it would lead to a reduction in the number of parents claiming free school meals thus affecting pupil premium he noted that there had been a fall off in numbers known to be entitled but that this was also reflected in other years so there was likely to be some other reason behind the fall that would need further investigation.

There was some discussion about what could be done to get the message out to parents about the need to claim where entitled. One member noted that her school had sent letters out to parents and organised a prize draw for parents sending in their claims. Other suggestions included involving the press and amending the standard admission form to include free school meals claims as part of the school admissions process. Central Government was looking at how the pupil premium information could be obtained in other ways and any support that the County Council could provide would be helpful. John Mitchell undertook to consider and follow up the suggestions made.

During further discussion a member queried how the Committee could follow through on this issue. Some of the measures were short term and there was a question over the on going extra costs to schools and whether the grant was sufficient. John Mitchell confirmed that the on-going costs to schools were a gap in their knowledge and that such information would be interesting. He added that these costs were the responsibility of schools and provided for by Government.

A member referred to the following motion passed by Council and sought an update:

“This Council asks the Education Scrutiny Committee to consider asking those schools which currently do not, to provide school breakfast clubs for their pupils. In particular, it is asked to consider the impact this would have on raising attainment, improving absence rates and lateness and to investigate how sponsorship, alongside the Pupil Premium, might fund the breakfasts. This information should then be provided to all schools in the County.”

The Committee was advised that no action had been taken so far and AGREED that so far as possible officers promote breakfast clubs and encourage their introduction.

The Education Scrutiny Committee noted the report.