This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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School Meals in Education Authority Schools 2002-2003
30/06/2003
The results of the latest annual survey of school meals,
updating the results of the previous survey which were
published on February 11, 2003, are published today.
The information was collected in January 2003 from all
education authorities in Scotland with results from all
education authority schools and include self-governing and
grant-aided schools with a primary or secondary department.
Information was not collected from grant-aided special
schools.
The main findings are:
- The percentage of pupils who were entitled to free
school meals in January 2003 was 18.8. This figure has
fallen each year since 1998, when it was 21.9 per cent
- In January 2003, 20.2 per cent of primary pupils and
16.0 per cent of secondary pupils were entitled to free
school meals
- Of the 659,669 pupils present on census day, 50.6 per
cent took school meals. This percentage has risen each year
since 1999, when it was 46.4
- In January 2003, the percentage of pupils present on
census day taking a free school meal was 14.7 per cent,
this figure has fallen each year from 16.3 per cent in
1998
- The percentage of pupils present on census day taking a
free school meal (14.7 per cent) was lower than the level
of entitlement of pupils on the register (18.8 per
cent)
- Glasgow City had the highest percentage (39.6 per cent)
of pupils entitled to free school meals, with Shetland
Islands the lowest at 6.3 per cent
- 31.8 per cent of pupils present on census day took free
school meals in Glasgow City compared with the national
average of 14.7 per cent
- 93.2 per cent of pupils present on census day took
school meals in the Shetland Islands compared with the
national average of 50.6 per cent
A survey of school meals provided by education authorities
has been carried out annually since 1982-83. In January 2003
around 92.8 per cent of primary and 86.9 per cent of secondary
pupils on school registers were present on census day, a slight
increase compared with the previous year.
Nursery pupils based within primary schools should not have
been included in the primary sector figures. However it appears
that some nursery pupils have been included. This will be
rectified in the January 2004 survey.
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.
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.
At the time of the survey, pupils entitled to free meals
were those whose parents were in receipt of Income Support or
Income Based Jobseeker's Allowance or who were themselves in
receipt of the benefit. Also entitled (with effect from 1 April
2000) were children of asylum seekers in receipt of support
under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
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.
Public enquiries 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.