Nearly one in four pupils at state schools in England is now eligible for free school meals. Eligibility stood at 23.8 per cent of all pupils in January this year, the equivalent of two million children – up from 22.5 per cent, or 1.9 million, in January 2022.
The figure has increased every year since January 2018, when it stood at 13.6 per cent or 1.1 million, according to data published by the Department for Education (DfE).
