Before the government legislated the offer of universal free school meals through the Children and Families Act, the provision of a free hot meal was an incentive for parents on low incomes to disclose details of any state benefits they receive.
This information enabled schools to identify pupils who were eligible for a free school meal and, in turn, those who were eligible for pupil premium funding.
The funding, introduced by the government in April 2011 to help schools narrow the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their wealthier peers, is available to any pupil who has registered for a free school meal in the past six years, as well as children who have been in local authority care for six months or more.
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