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This statistical publication notice provides results of the latest annual survey of school meals. The information was collected in early 2008 from all publicly funded schools in Scotland.

The survey included those schools participating in the trial of free school meals for all pupils in P1-P3 in five local authorities (East Ayrshire, Fife, Glasgow, Scottish Borders and West Dunbartonshire). This change in provision obviously affected uptake rates in these areas, making comparison with previous years more difficult. The full findings from the monitoring of the trial are due to be published later this year.

This statistics publication also includes information about total local authority expenditure on meals during the year 2006-07, the year prior to the survey.

The main findings for 2008 are:

School meals (free or purchased)

• Of those pupils present on the survey day, 47.1 per cent took a meal supplied by the school, compared to 46.1 per cent in 2007 ( Table 3). Excluding all primary pupils in the five trial authorities (not just the P1-P3s), the uptake rate was 45.1, compared to 45.6 per cent in 2007.
• For those P1-P3 pupils in trial authorities who were present, uptake averaged 74.9 per cent, compared to 49.9 per cent for P4-P7 in those authorities, and 46.3 per cent for primary pupils in non-trial authorities. In 2007 the trial authorities had a higher overall uptake rate in primary than the non-trial authorities (48.6 per cent compared to 45.5 per cent). Separate data for P1-P3 were not collected in previous years, but was collected as part of the trial monitoring process, immediately prior to its commencement. Full analysis will therefore be available in the final research report.
• The percentage taking meals in secondary schools has decreased from 44.9 in 2007 to 42.9 in 2008.
• At local authority level there was a strong urban/rural pattern, with higher uptake in rural areas, particularly in secondary. The wide variation in changes from 2007 at local authority level though shows the variability of uptake, depending on a range of factors.

Free school meals

• The schools participating in the trial were still required to hold information on whether pupils were registered for free school meals under the benefit-based criteria. This group of pupils would not have been directly affected by a change in eligibility.
• The percentage of pupils registered for free school meals under the benefits criteria was 15.4 per cent, down from 16.0 per cent in 2007 ( Table 1). A further 5,600 pupils were identified by 25 local authorities as being entitled to free school meals, though local authorities continue to vary widely in their ability to identify pupils who are entitled but have not registered their entitlement.
• Of those registered for free school meals under the benefits criteria and present on the day of the survey, 82.7 per cent took a free school meal on the survey day, up from 79.7 per cent in 2007 ( Table 2).
• In the five trial authorities uptake across P1-P7 increased from 85.3 per cent in 2007 to 90.4 per cent in 2008. Uptake was 93.6 per cent amongst P1-P3 and 88.1 per cent amongst P4-P7. Comparison with P1-P3 and P4-P7 rates pre-trial will be available in the final research report.
• Fifty-six per cent of mainstream schools had an anonymised system for free school meals receipt, up from 53 per cent in 2007 (Tables 20 and 21). Four out of five secondaries and half of primaries had such systems.

Healthy eating

• All local authority primary schools are required to provide free fresh fruit to P1 and P2 pupils. 55 per cent of schools reported also having extended the free fruit scheme in some way, such as to pupils in other stages or by providing it more often, the same as in 2007. Eighty-seven cent of all schools had free fresh chilled water available to pupils and staff at all times, down from 90 per cent in 2007. (Tables 20, 21 and 22).
• Thirty-seven per cent of all schools provided a breakfast club service to pupils, the same as in 2007. Provision of breakfast clubs was more common in those schools with higher rates of deprivation ( Table 7).

Annual data from previous financial year

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