MORE than a quarter of all pupils in Barnsley are eligible for free school meals, the latest figures have revealed.
The data was released following a government announcement to expand free school meals to more youngsters across the country, with a further 500,000 pupils eligible for the scheme.
Figures from the Department for Education show 10,365 of the 35,215 pupils in Barnsley were allowed free school meals at the start of the year.
This was in line with 2024 when the proportion of youngsters also stood at 29 per cent.
Last week the government announced plans to expand free school meals to all households in England that claim universal credit from September 2026.
Currently, households on universal credit must earn below £7,400 a year - after tax and not including benefits - to qualify for the scheme.
The government said the expansion will make 500,000 additional children eligible and save parents nearly £500 every year.
It also suggested the change would lift 100,000 pupils across England out of poverty.
Across England, an additional 77,700 children became eligible for free school meals last year, taking their total to more than 2.17 million in January.
It means 25.7 per cent of pupils were eligible then - up from 24.6 per cent a year earlier.
Andrew Forsey OBE, national director of Feeding Britain, said: “The government’s decision to expand eligibility to a broader group of children in poverty, whose parents work for low wages, “will help hundreds of thousands more children break free of the hunger trap.
“Yet all too many children remain trapped, despite being eligible, as they’re not registered for their free school meal entitlement.
“As a next step, to help every child break free, the Government needs to introduce a policy of automatically enrolling all eligible children for free school meals.
“This would put our country firmly on track to abolish child hunger.”
Stephanie Slater, founder and chief executive at School Food Matters, welcomed plans to expand access to free school meals, saying it will ‘replace the draconian eligibility criteria’.
She said: “For children living in food-insecure households, the value of a guaranteed hot, nutritious meal each school day cannot be overstated.
“This extension means many more children from struggling households will have access to that vital support too.”
She added the benefits of expanding access to free school meals ‘go far beyond tackling child hunger’.
“We know from all the evidence that this is one of the best investments a government can make - not only for children’s long-term health and learning but for the economy too,” she said.
“Teachers often tell us they can see the difference in children who come to class after having a nutritious meal, as they are more focused, energetic, and ready to learn.”
Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis told the Chronicle: “Our children deserve the best start in life and that’s why I fully support this decisive and much-needed action to expand entitlement for free school meals.
“Giving children access to a nutritious meal during the school day leads to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes.
“It’ll lift children across Barnsley out of poverty and put money back into parents’ pockets.”
