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courtesy of the independent
Hundreds of schools have driven up the amount they will be paid under the Government's "pupil premium" initiative - designed to "reward" them for taking poorer children - by encouraging parents to apply for free school meals (FSM) for their children, even if they don't eat them.
Amid growing concerns over pressures on school budgets, headteachers and local councils have targeted the premium, allocated to those pupils eligible for FSM, as a key source of extra income. Teachers estimate the device is worth at least an extra £10m.
They have co-ordinated a widespread campaign to persuade all low-income families eligible for FSM to register, qualifying their schools for an extra £430 per child.
But health campaigners complain that registering for FSM simply as a way to get more money undermines the message that free meals are a vital element of a child's education.
The School Food Trust chairman, Rob Rees, said: "Extra efforts by schools to encourage families to sign up for their free school meals are always welcome, but it's vital to remember that this isn't just about securing additional funding. The most important thing about a free school meal is that it guarantees a child a tasty, nutritious lunch every day."
The spending watchdog, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), predicted a rush to sign up eligible pupils for FSM in time for the annual school "census".
The IoS has established that hundreds of schools - many in the wealthiest parts of the country - immediately sought to encourage parents to overcome the "stigma" associated with free meals.
