Schools pay for the provision of Free School Meals (FSM) from their core funding allocations. Overall, core schools funding, including funding for both mainstream schools and high needs, is increasing by £4 billion in 2022/23 compared to the previous year. This is a 7% increase in cash terms per pupil.

The core allocations that schools attract through the National Funding Formula (NFF) include funding in respect of Free School Meals. This is intended to broadly reflect the costs schools face in providing school meals. Following extensive consultation when the NFF was first introduced, schools attracted £440 per pupil through Free School Meals in 2018/19 and 2019/20. Each year, we set the NFF factor values to be used in the forthcoming funding year. Since the introduction of the NFF, the per pupil FSM rate has increased in line with forecast inflation in every year, as measured by the latest GDP deflator at the time.

The FSM factor is worth £470 per eligible pupil in 2022/23. This will increase to £480 in 2023/24. The factor values for each year are published on GOV.UK at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-funding-formula-for-schools-and-high-needs. In reviewing future FSM rates, many factors will be taken into consideration, including cost of living pressures and inflation.

The Department also spends around £600 million on Universal Infant Free School Meals each year. The per meal rate has been increased from £2.34 to £2.41, and backdated to 1 April 2022, in recognition of increased costs.

The Department continues to keep FSM eligibility under review to ensure that these meals are supporting those who most need them.

Cost pressures should be seen in the wider context of funding for schools. The department is delivering a £7 billion cash increase in schools and high needs funding nationally by the 2024/25 financial year, compared to the 2021/22 financial year. Increases in funding have been frontloaded, so that in the 2022/23 financial year core schools funding will increase by £4 billion compared to the 2021/22 financial year.

Coventry is attracting a further increase of £5 million for mainstream schools in the 2023/24 financial year through the schools national funding formula (NFF). This will take total school funding for the 2023/24 financial year in Coventry to £284.4 million, based on current pupil numbers. This represents an average increase of 7.5% across two years to 2023/24, compared to 2021/22. Final allocations for 2023/24 will be announced, as usual, in December.

Schools in Coventry North East are attracting an extra £1.8 million in the 2022/23 financial year through the schools NFF. On top of this funding through the NFF, schools in Coventry North East are seeing £2.9 million through the schools supplementary grant.

Schools in Coventry North East are attracting a further increase of £3.1 million in the 2023/24 financial year through the schools NFF. This will take total funding for the 2023/24 financial year for schools in Coventry North East to £106.2 million, based on current pupil numbers. This represents an increase of 7.3% per pupil for their pupil-led funding across two years to 2023/24 compared to 2021/22.

Schools’ actual allocations will be based on local authorities’ local funding formulae.