Responding to concerns set out in a letter from former Children's Secretary Ed Balls, Gove also confirmed the new government would support plans to extend free childcare to the 20,000 most disadvantaged two-year-olds.
But he said he would not back additional free school meal pilots or the expansion of the programme into primary schools although he would continue to examine the current pilots, and consider whether they should be expanded in the future.
On his decision to stop the expansion of the free school meal pilots, Gove wrote: "I am sympathetic to the arguments for extending eligibility – though surprised that a decision to do so was taken before any evidence on the impact on attainment could be collected from pilots."
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