Scottish Government

SCHOOL MEALS IN EDUCATION AUTHORITY SCHOOLS 2001-02
News Release

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This news release provides revised results of the latest annual survey of school meals, updating those originally published by the Scottish Executive Education Department on 27 June 2002.

These results have been calculated using information from the annual survey of school meals. The information was collected in January 2002 from all education authorities in Scotland.

• The main findings are:
• At January 2002, 20 per cent of primary pupils and 16 per cent of secondary pupils were recorded as being entitled to free school meals in education authority schools (Table 1).
• Of the 670,319 pupils present on census day, 50 per cent took school meals, the highest level in recent years. (Table 2).
• Actual uptake of free school meals amongst pupils present on census day (15 per cent) was lower than the recorded level of entitlement of pupils on the register (19 per cent).
• Glasgow City had the highest percentage (41 per cent) of pupils recorded as being entitled to free school meals compared to the Shetland Islands which had the lowest at 6 per cent (Table 3).
• 34 per cent of pupils present on census day took free school meals in Glasgow City compared with the national average of 15 per cent (Table 5).
• 89 per cent of pupils present on census day took school meals in the Shetland Islands compared with the national average of 50 per cent (Table 4).

TABLES

Table 1 - Pupils on the register of education authority schools: Number and percentage of pupils recorded as being entitled to free school meals by sector, 1996-97 to 2001-02.
Table 2 - Pupils present in education authority schools on census day: Pupils present taking school meals by sector, 1996-97 to 2001-02.
Table 3 - Pupils on the register of education authority schools: Number and percentage of pupils recorded as being entitled to free school meals by education authority and sector, 2001-02.
Table 4 - Pupils present in education authority schools on census day: Pupils present taking school meals by education authority and sector, 2001-02.
Table 5 - Pupils present in education authority schools on census day: Pupils present taking free school meals by education authority and sector, 2001-02.

NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS

1. A survey of school meals provided by education authorities has been carried out annually since 1982-83. In January 2002 around 94 per cent of primary and 87 per cent of secondary pupils on school registers were present on census day, a slight increase compared with the previous year.

2. The data for the years 1996-97 to 1997-98 for primary schools may include some nursery pupils attending primary schools. These were unable to be separately identified in recording those entitled to free school meals and taking meals. The provision of free school meals is not compulsory within the pre-school education sector, therefore no information has been collected since 1998-99 from centres of pre-school education.

3. This information is used for target setting, and has been used in calculating the distribution of grant support to local authorities in previous years. In order to improve the quality of the data, Local Authorities were issued with agreed guidance to allow for an estimate for those pupils who they believed to be entitled to free school meals but were not recorded as such on their systems.

4. Changes in the way school meal data is reported by Local Authorities has caused some inconsistency in the results between years and between different Local Authorities.

5. Pupils entitled to free meals are those whose parents are in receipt of Income Support or Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance or who are themselves in receipt of the benefit. Also entitled (with effect from 1 April 2000) are children of asylum seekers in receipt of support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

6. This is a National Statistics publication. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.

Enquiries

7. Public enquiries (non-media) about the information contained in this News Release should be addressed to Jon Hunter, Assistant Statistician, Scottish Executive Education Department, Area 1A-West, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ.
Telephone 0131 244 0314 or email jon.hunter@scotland.gsi.gov.uk.

8. Media enquiries about the information in this News Release should be addressed to:
Julie Grant: 0131 244 3070