Scottish school meal uptake increases for first time since 2016
07 Sep 2023
The proportion of Scottish pupils taking a school meal, free or paid for, increased from 50% in 2022 to 53% in 2023.
For free school meals alone, the uptake rate increased from 67% in 2022 to 70% in 2023. The largest increase in free school meal uptake rates was seen in special schools (74% to 84%), with smaller increases in primary (68% to 72%) and secondary schools (60% to 61%).
All pupils in P1 to P5 have been entitled to free school meals since January 2022. Local Authorities in Scotland may also implement local measures to extend entitlement to free school meals.
The proportion of all schools meeting the Physical Education (PE) target of at least two hours in primary and two periods (100 minutes) at secondary school in 2023 was 99%, the same as in 2022.