There is a large and long-standing gap in education outcomes between pupils from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers in England. As schools continue to grapple with the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis, it’s vital that there are well-targeted and effective strategies to help close this gap.
However, an unintended consequence of the government’s roll-out of Universal Credit (UC) means that it will become almost impossible to understand how the performance of disadvantaged pupils is evolving over the next decade.
Following the introduction of UC in April 2018, all pupils whose families are in receipt of this benefit with household income less than £7,400 are eligible for free school meals (FSM). This is alongside pupils who meet the eligibility requirements for FSM as part of a number of legacy schemes.
