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Free school meal eligibility

The number and percentage of North East state-funded pupils eligible for free school meals

Standards of Living Education and skills Newcastle North Tyneside South Tyneside Durham Gateshead Sunderland Northumberland
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Latest totals and rates

85,610

North East pupils eligible for free school meals

primary schools: 55%
secondary schools: 40%
other provision: 5%

29.8%

North East free school meal eligibility rate

England excl. London 23.4%,
among nine English regions
North East rate is highest

39.6%

Newcastle eligibility rate

highest in the North East
2nd: South Tyneside 31.8%
lowest:
Northumberland 22.2%

30.4%

North East primary school rate

secondary school rate: 27.8%
England excl. London
primary 23.8%
secondary 22.0%


Changes since 2015/16

+36,500

North East change 2015/16 to 2022/23

increase in eligibility
primary: +18,500
secondary: +16,100

+12.3 pp

seven year North East rate change

larger than change in
England excl. London
(+9.8 pp)

+16.0 pp

Newcastle pp rate change

highest change among
NE local authority areas
2nd: South Tyneside +12.6 pp

+12.2 pp

NE secondary school change

2015/16 to 2022/23
primary schools +12.0 pp
both higher than national pp increases


About the data

In January of each year, schools and local authorities are required to provide the DfE with a school census return covering a wide range of information on the characteristics of schools and the pupils within them. The data on this page is an output from this source.

Children in state-funded schools in England are entitled to receive free school meals if a parent or carer is in receipt of any of a range of benefits. These include Universal Credit; Income Support; other income-based allowances; and child and working tax credits.