Hundreds more children benefit from free school meals in Cumberland

The start of the new school year has seen hundreds more children in Cumberland benefitting from free school meals thanks to the launch of an automatic enrolment system.

This initiative ensures that every eligible child receives a nutritious meal at school without the need for families to apply, and is part of Cumberland Council’s commitment to supporting families and tackling child poverty.

Thanks to the new system, 578 children who were previously eligible but not claiming have been enrolled in time for the start of term.

Schools will also directly benefit from an additional £750k in pupil premium funding, which can be used to support teaching, learning, and wellbeing initiatives—helping to close the attainment gap and improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

"This is a huge step forward in our Right to Food agenda," said Cllr Justin McDermott, Executive Member for Children and Families. "We know that access to good, nutritious food during the school day leads to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes. That’s why this administration is committed to giving every child the best possible start in life. I’m incredibly proud of the team across public health, legal, education and customer services who made this happen."

Parents and children who are entitled to free school meals also benefit from the council’s Holiday Activity and Food programme during the school holidays.