Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating the national guidance on Free School Meals to include reference to the duty to make reasonable adjustments for eligible disabled children who are unable to access meals due to dietary or sensory requirements.

The Education Act 1996 places a duty on maintained schools and academies to provide nutritious, free meals to pupils that meet the eligibility criteria, and are attending school during term time. These meals must meet the standards for school food as laid out in ‘The Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014’, which can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1603/contents/made.

The Department expects schools to act reasonably in ensuring that their food provision accounts for medical, dietary, and cultural needs.

It is important that the Department that the guidance on free school meals meets the needs of pupils. As such, this guidance is kept under review.