Report calls for auto-enrolment of free school meals

A new report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) warns that the current system for registering children for Free School Meals (FSM) is failing to reach many of the most disadvantaged pupils, with significant implications for research, policy, and access to support. 

Funded by the Nuffield Foundation, the report is the final output of a project led by Dr Tammy Campbell and Dr Kerris Cooper, and calls for changes as FSM entitlement expands in 2026.

The study examines how FSM registration is widely used as a proxy for measuring deprivation and disadvantage across the education system, but finds the current system to be flawed, inconsistent and insufficiently inclusive. Drawing on survey data, administrative records and research, the report highlights major gaps in both eligibility and uptake – particularly among families in deep poverty.

Researchers found that most children in poverty surveyed as part of the Millennium Cohort Study were not entitled to FSM at several key stages of schooling, and many of those who were eligible were not consistently registered. Even among children from very disadvantaged families, one in five were not registered at both the primary and secondary school stages despite being eligible at both.

The report also shows that while many local authorities and schools have developed strategies to encourage registration, barriers still persist. These include complex administrative processes, a lack of clear guidance, and fears among families with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) that applying might affect their immigration status.

With an expansion of FSM entitlement to all families receiving Universal Credit scheduled for September 2026, the authors argue this is a critical moment to reassess how disadvantage is defined and addressed.

Key recommendations include the introduction of a centralised auto-enrolment system to ensure all eligible children receive support, linking data from early years to later stages of education to improve consistency, and simplifying the process for families with NRPF. The report also urges the government to clarify FSM provision in early years settings and remove eligibility rules that complicate access, such as requirements around meal times for pre-schoolers.

Ultimately, the report argues that while upcoming policy changes may increase the number of eligible families, they also risk diluting FSM’s effectiveness as a measure of deprivation unless deeper reforms are made to better identify and support the most disadvantaged children.