School meals in Scotland, 2009

Today

23/06/2009

Scotland's Chief Statistician today published a range of statistics relating to school meals in Scotland's publicly funded schools.

Some of the main findings are:

Of those pupils present on the survey day, 45 per cent took a meal supplied by the school, compared to 47 per cent in 2008. However, these figures were affected by a trial of free school meal provision to P1-P3 in five local authorities held in 2007-08, causing an increase in the national meal uptake rate in 2008, with possibly a prolonged effect in 2009. When those trial authorities were excluded, 44 per cent of pupils present took a meal in 2009, compared to 45 per cent in 2008
Of those registered for free school meals and present on the day of the survey, 82 per cent took a free school meal on the survey day
Thirty-six per cent of all schools provided a breakfast club service to pupils

National statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff.