School Healthy Living Survey statistics 2019

Chapter 1: School meals

Background

In 2012, a new Healthy Living Survey (HLS) was introduced which incorporated the old school meals survey and new questions on Physical Education.  This is an annual survey, normally collected in February each year, from all publicly funded schools in Scotland.  The school meal part of this survey collects information on the uptake of meals, both free and paid for, and registration for free school meals.  Only meals taken at lunchtime are included, breakfast clubs are not included.  The survey reported on here was conducted in the week beginning 18 February 2019. 

Information on levels of free school meal registration and school meal uptake is used to monitor the impact of Scottish Government policies on reducing deprivation and promoting healthy eating.  In January 2015, the Government extended free school meal eligibility to include all children in primary 1-3.^[1]

Free school meals as a measure of deprivation

As the national criteria for free school meal eligibility is largely based on the receipt of benefits, statistics on free school meal registrations from the Healthy Living Survey have been used as a measure of deprivation.  However, several factors need to be taken into account when using the statistics in this way, particularly for primary and special schools where a substantial proportion of those registered qualify through non-benefits based criteria.  See background notes for more information on the use of these statistics as a measure of deprivation. 

An alternative to using the percentage of pupils registered for free school meals as a measure of deprivation, are statistics on the percentage of pupils in each school who live in the 20 per cent most deprived data zones in Scotland, available in the school contact list.

Key Findings

Chart 1: Percentage of pupils registered for free school meals by sector, 2015 to 2019

In 2019, 38.0 per cent of the total school roll was registered for free school meals. This is slightly higher than the 37.4 per cent registered in 2018 and represents the reversal of the previous downward trend in free school meal registration rates. Free school meal registration rates are affected by the economic circumstances of pupils and their parents, and also changes to the eligibility criteria. The most influential changes to eligibility criteria since 2015 have been the increased proportion of special schools reporting 100% registration and the introduction of universal eligibility to all P4 pupils in Glasgow City in August 2018.

Chart 2: Percentage of pupils present taking school meals, 2019

The percentage of registered P4-7 pupils present on the survey day who took a free school meal decreased from 84.9 per cent in 2018 to 79.9 per cent in 2019.

The percentage of pupils present on the survey day who took a meal (free or paid for) supplied by the school decreased from 55.6 per cent in 2018 to 54.5 per cent in 2019.

Additional data

School meals data by Urban Rural classification, size of school and local authority are available in the supplementary tables.  School level information on school meals is also available.

Table 1a: Number and percentage of pupils taking school meals (free or paid for) and registered for and taking free school meals by sector, 2014 to 2019

						Number
	2014a	2015b,c	2016	2017	2018d,f	2019e,f
Pupils registered for free meals
Primary	77,791	213,199	212,175	212,235	210,906	214,353
Secondary	44,224	41,744	39,280	38,841	39,511	41,881
Special	4,373	4,498	3,681	4,155	4,506	4,608
Total	126,388	259,441	255,136	255,231	254,923	260,842
Pupils registered and present taking free meals
Primary	63,986	162,799	166,454	165,027	160,323	160,539
Secondary	27,739	26,264	24,811	23,911	23,937	24,287
Special	3,719	3,607	2,899	3,418	3,466	3,448
Total	95,444	192,670	194,164	192,356	187,726	188,274
Pupils present and taking meals (free or paid for)
Primary	192,666	237,404	246,821	246,162	237,315	230,271
Secondary	115,150	111,562	114,586	110,288	110,364	112,722
Special	5,206	4,875	4,511	4,375	4,663	4,371
Total	313,022	353,841	365,918	360,825	352,342	347,364
						Percentage
	2014a	2015b,c	2016	2017	2018d,f	2019e,f
Pupils registered for free meals
Primary	20.6	55.3	54.1	53.4	52.7	53.5
Secondary	15.5	15.0	14.2	14.1	14.4	15.0
Special	60.7	63.0	55.7	66.2	66.1	66.9
Total	18.8	38.7	37.8	37.6	37.4	38.0
Pupils registered and present taking free meals
Primary	88.7	80.5	82.7	82.1	80.5	79.2
Secondary	76.6	76.4	73.9	73.4	72.8	70.9
Special	94.8	90.3	89.8	91.3	87.1	85.1
Total	85.0	80.1	81.5	81.0	79.6	78.1
Pupils present and taking meals (free or paid for)
Primary	53.2	64.6	66.0	65.0	62.4	60.4
Secondary	44.4	44.2	45.8	44.3	44.6	45.2
Special	81.7	78.0	77.7	78.0	77.8	72.4
Total	49.8	56.5	58.1	56.9	55.6	54.5

a. In 2014, primary school free meal registrations were affected by a reduction in the number of local authorities with local initiatives.

b. On 5 January 2015, the Scottish Government launched the extension of free school meals eligibility to include all children in P1-P3.

c. Figures on percentage uptake that were originally published were corrected in June 2016. See section 3.3 background notes for this publication for further details.

d. In August 2019, the 2018 figures for Edinburgh and North Lanarkshire were corrected. PE data was not affected. See section 3.3 background notes for this publication for further details.

e. In August 2018, Glasgow City Council introduced a local initiative extending free school meals to all P4 pupils.

f. Figures for 2018 and 2019 exclude Jordanhill. See section 3.3 background notes for this publication for further details.

Table 1b: Primary pupils taking school meals (free or paid for) and registered for and taking free school meals by sector, 2014 to 2019

						Number
	2014a	2015b,c	2016	2017	2018d,f	2019e,f
Pupils registered for free meals
P1-P3	#	172,284	172,912	173,020	172,163	169,931
P4-P7	#	40,915	39,263	39,215	38,743	44,422
Total Primary (P1-P7)	77,791	213,199	212,175	212,235	210,906	214,353
Pupils registered and present taking free meals
P1-P3	#	129,674	134,667	134,042	130,201	127,888
P4-P7	#	33,125	31,787	30,985	30,122	32,651
Total Primary (P1-P7)	63,986	162,799	166,454	165,027	160,323	160,539
Pupils present and taking meals (free or paid for)
P1-P3	#	129,674	134,667	134,042	130,201	127,888
P4-P7	#	107,730	112,154	112,120	107,114	102,383
Total Primary (P1-P7)	192,666	237,404	246,821	246,162	237,315	230,271
						Percentage
	2014a	2015b,c	2016	2017	2018d,f	2019e,f
Pupils registered for free meals
P1-P3	#	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
P4-P7	#	19.2	17.9	17.5	17.0	19.3
Total Primary (P1-P7)	20.6	55.3	54.1	53.4	52.7	53.5
Pupils registered and present taking free meals
P1-P3	#	78.9	81.7	81.2	79.6	79.0
P4-P7	#	87.5	87.3	86.2	84.9	79.9
Total Primary (P1-P7)	88.7	80.5	82.7	82.1	80.5	79.2
Pupils present and taking meals (free or paid for)
P1-P3	#	78.9	81.7	81.2	79.6	79.0
P4-P7	#	53.1	53.7	52.4	49.5	46.7
Total Primary (P1-P7)	53.2	64.6	66.0	65.0	62.4	60.4

a. In 2014, primary school free meal registrations were affected by a reduction in the number of local authorities with local initiatives.

b. On 5 January 2015, the Scottish Government launched the extension of free school meals eligibility to include all children in primary 1-3.

c. Figures on percentage uptake that were originally published were corrected in June 2016. See section 3.3 background notes for this publication for further details.

d. In August 2019, the 2018 figures for Edinburgh and North Lanarkshire were corrected. PE data was not affected. See section 3.3 background notes for this publication for further details.

e. In August 2018, Glasgow City Council introduced a local initiative extending free school meals to all P4 pupils. 

f. Figures for 2018 and 2019 exclude Jordanhill. See section 3.3 background notes for this publication for further details.