School Healthy Living Survey

In 2022, 51.9 per cent of the total school roll was registered for free school meals, up from 38.1 per cent registered in 2020. This increase follows the extension of universal entitlement to free school meals to all P1-P5 pupils.

The proportion of pupils present on survey day who took a school meal, free or paid for, decreased from 53.3% in 2020 to 49.9% in 2022. School meals data was not collected in 2021 due to disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The publication of ‘School Healthy Living Survey Statistics 2022’ by Scotland’s Chief Statistician also showed that the proportion of pupils who were registered for free school meals and present on survey day taking meal decreased from 76.2% in 2020 to 67.2% in 2022.

The proportion of all schools meeting the Physical Education (PE) target of at least two hours in primary and two periods (100 minutes) at secondary school in 2022 was 99%. This is an increase on the 96% of schools meeting the target in 2021 but the same percentage as 2020. Around 99% of primary and 97% of secondary schools met the target level of PE provision, up from 97% and 92% in 2021, respectively.

Background

These statistics are sourced from ‘School Healthy Living Survey’ conducted in February 2022. This information is collected at school level. Information on free school meal registrations is also collected through the annual pupil census and published in School level summary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Further school statistics are available within the School Education section of the Scottish Government website.

All pupils in P1 to P5 are entitled to free school meals as of January 2022 and are included in the number of free school meal registered pupils in this statistical publication. Local Authorities may also implement local measures to extend entitlement to free school meals over the national criteria.

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff in line with the standards of official statistics in Scotland.