West Sussex's children in need more likely to rely on free school meals

Vulnerable children in West Sussex are more likely to receive free school meals than five years ago, new figures show.

As more children rely on them nationally, the Children's Society warns that the pandemic has caused "long-term, devastating consequences" for those in low-income families.

Data from the Department of Education shows that by the end of the 2020-21 school year, 43% of West Sussex's children in need were eligible for free school meals – up from 36% at the same point in 2016-17.

A child in need is defined by the Government as a child who needs support from their local authority to maintain a decent standard of development and education.

This includes children with disabilities and special educational needs, young carers, children who have committed crimes, and those with parents in prison.

Free school meals are available to children who have parents receiving benefits or are on incomes of less than £7,400 – so an increase in the number of children on free school meals can be an indicator of declining living standards.

The pandemic coincided with a small year-on-year increase in pupils needing free school meals in West Sussex – between the end of the 2019-20 and 2020-21 academic years, 2% more children became eligible for them.

The figures cover children in need who are not in receipt of a children protection plan and are not in foster homes or adoption.

Last school year England saw the largest increase in eligibility among children in need since 2016-17, when the figures were first recorded, of 6%.

Across the country, 57% of children in this category were eligible for free school meals at the end of 2020-21, up from 45% in 2016-17.