Bigrise infree meals uptake

Uptake of free school meals in Perth and Kinross has leapt dramatically in the past year, the Perthshire Advertiser has found.

The entitlement for all primary 1, 2 and 3 children, as well as older children from lower income families, saw demand soar from 444,487 meals served in primary schools in 2015 to 515,792 in the same period over 2016.

Secondary school pupils enjoyed around 25,000 more meals - up to 230,766 from 205,773, and all age group schools was up to 130,149.

It meant that the group which delivers the food service on behalf of Perth and Kinross Council, Tayside Contracts, exceeded its budget expectation, although it was still “favourable”.

The uptake equates to 72.5% of pupils eligible for meals being served them in primary school, an increase of more than 10%, but the ratio had fallen by nearly the same amount at secondary school level.

Tayside Contracts reported: “Meal uptake in primary schools shows a considerable increase on the previous year and is also favourable against budget.

“The position in all age schools is also positive against the previous yeaer and budget, despite a decrease in the school roll entitled to free school meals. The secondary school uptake shows a similarly positive trend against the previous year and a strong performance against budget.”

Specific to Perth and Kinross there are three secondary school mobile units which generated an average weekly uptake of 1,364 meals.

A previous report in the PA also revealed that Perth and Kinross had the highest uptake of free meals for P1-3 - a fact which remains with a 79% rate, compared with 71% in Dundee and 74% in Angus. But the figure in the Big County and Kinross-shire fell from 81% since our last report in February.