A new report published today found that 23.1% of students who are not eligible for free school meals are currently in debt for school lunches. The study surveyed more than 250 schools across England, covering areas with all levels of deprivation.
Among 47 schools that provided data, the average debt per school was £1,400, suggesting that the total debt could be as high as £28 million across all state schools in England.
In many cases, the report found that councils and even individual schools are often unaware of the scale of the problem, as responsibilities for school meals, including debt management, are often outsourced to third-party providers.
While some schools take compassionate steps, such as offering payment plans or writing off debt, others have taken more punitive measures including involving debt collection agencies or social services.
One reason the issue remains hidden is that many schools try to plug the gap themselves, dipping into already-stretched budgets to ensure no child goes hungry. This finding echos our own Two Cities research which found that schools and individual teachers are stepping in to support children experiencing food insecurity.
The report concludes with a series of recommendations, including the creation of a national school meal debt fund to help schools cover unpaid meal costs, and the introduction of a national reporting mechanism for all schools and third-party providers to understand the extent of school meal debt moving forward so it can be addressed.
You can read the full report here.
