A new report by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) examines the impact of recent and anticipated changes in free school meal eligibility on state-funded mainstream schools in England. The research focuses on the extent to which both the pandemic and transitional arrangements introduced to smooth the roll out of Universal Credit are affecting free school meal eligibility. It also explores the implications for both the measurement of the attainment gap and for how government funding for schools is being targeted towards pupils from more disadvantaged backgrounds.
