Universal FSM leads to loss of £2.1m in Pupil Premium funding
Universal Free School Meal leads to a loss of £2.1m in Pupil Premium Funding in Warwickshire
The universal entitlement to Free School Meals (FSM) was introduced in September 2014 with the Government's aim to improve academic attainment and save families money. All pupils from Reception to Year 2 are entitled to a free school meal. An important message is that parents of pupils in receipt of universal free school meals should still apply for FSM so that Pupil Premium is allocated for their child.
The full impact of universal entitlement on FSM claiming was evident by September 2016. Warwickshire saw a decline of 2.6% in infant FSM claims from 11.3% in January 2014 - prior to the introduction of universal FSM - to 8.7% in January 2017. This equates to 540 infant pupils and £712,800 in lost Pupil Premium funding to schools in Warwickshire in one academic year. Across the three years in infant classes this equates to an estimated £2.1m in lost Pupil Premium.
What are Warwickshire County Council doing to help?
There has been a long-term desire to establish automated FSM enrolment based on sharing data from the district and borough revenue and benefits teams. The restrictions on data sharing as a result of the introduction of GDPR has currently made this impossible.
However, the admissions team have developed an online application process for FSM claiming, which will be completed at the point of applying for school or Early Years places on the parent platform for school admissions. The online eligibility checker will be available alongside the application process. It is hoped this will go live in May 2019 and increase the uptake of FSM.
We have pulled together data on Free School Meals in Warwickshire which is publicly available - please find a copy of the full report here.