Newcastle auto-enrols more pupils for free school meals
Last month, Durham County Council announced its pilot scheme had been made permanent and all eligible recipients would be contacted in the summer about the next academic year.
'Only hot meal'
About 40% of children in Newcastle are currently eligible for free meals, compared with an average 24.6% across England.But it is estimated that about one in 10 eligible pupils in England are not registered.That lack of take-up has been blamed on a variety of factors including the paperwork and bureaucracy of having to apply, barriers presented by language or literacy issues and feelings of stigma or embarrassment.A Newcastle City Council report stated: "For some children, their school meal will be the only hot meal they get that day, maybe even their only meal. "For families of primary school aged children their free school meals can save them as much as £450 a year – that's almost £40 a month - with the figures even higher for those in secondary school."Announcing the results of auto-enrolment, the council claimed the relatively low increase compared with areas like Durham was due to the authority already having a "robust" system.
Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
Lottery results LIVE: National Lottery Set For Life draw tonight, August 21, 2025
THE National Lottery Set For Life numbers are in and it's time to find out if you've won the top prize of £10,000 every month for 30 years. Could tonight's jackpot see you start ticking off that bucket list every month or building your own start-up as a budding entrepreneur? 1 You can find out by checking your ticket against tonight's numbers below. Good luck! The winning Set For Life numbers are: 03, 06, 07, 14, 18 and the Life Ball is 05. The first National Lottery draw was held on November 19 1994 when seven winners shared a jackpot of £5,874,778. The largest amount ever to be won by a single ticket holder was £42million, won in 1996. Gareth Bull, a 49-year-old builder, won £41million in November, 2020 and ended up knocking down his bungalow to make way for a luxury manor house with a pool. £1.308 billion (Powerball) on January 13 2016 in the US, for which three winning tickets were sold, remains history's biggest lottery prize £1.267 billion (Mega Million) a winner from South Carolina took their time to come forward to claim their prize in March 2019 not long before the April deadline £633.76 million (Powerball draw) from a winner from Wisconsin £625.76 million (Powerball) Mavis L. Wanczyk of Chicopee, Massachusetts claimed the jackpot in August 2017 £575.53 million (Powerball) A lucky pair of winners scooped the jackpot in Iowa and New York in October 2018 Sue Davies, 64, bought a lottery ticket to celebrate ending five months of shielding during the pandemic — and won £500,000. Sandra Devine, 36, accidentally won £300k - she intended to buy her usual £100 National Lottery Scratchcard, but came home with a much bigger prize. The biggest jackpot ever to be up for grabs was £66million in January last year, which was won by two lucky ticket holders. Another winner, Karl managed to bag £11million aged just 23 in 1996. The odds of winning the lottery are estimated to be about one in 14million - BUT you've got to be in it to win it.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Zoo asks for help naming its red panda cub
Members of the public are being invited to help name a critically important new arrival at Bristol Zoo Project: an endangered red panda cub whose birth marks a significant step in conservation efforts for the species. The female cub, born to first-time parents Neora and Laya on 26 June, has recently undergone her initial veterinary health check, confirming she is healthy and feeding well. Weighing 780g, she has been cared for by her mother, Laya, within nest boxes in the red panda habitat. Now almost two months old, the cub is anticipated to begin exploring her surroundings beyond the boxes. Nigel Simpson, head of zoo animals at Bristol Zoo Project, highlighted the significance of the birth, stating: "We are all thrilled to see Neora and Laya's new cub thriving." He added: "As a first-time mum, Laya has done a fantastic job of caring for her cub and ensuring it is safe, fed and well. This is a huge conservation win for this endangered species. The wild population is thought to be as low as 2,500 individuals, threatened by habitat loss and poaching." The cub's parents arrived at the zoo in 2024 as part of the EAZA's critical breeding programme, making her arrival "very special indeed." To celebrate the new arrival, the zoo is inviting the public to help choose a name for the cub. Keepers have shortlisted three options: Asha, meaning 'hope' in Nepali/Sanskrit; Banita, meaning 'cherished' in Nepali/Sanskrit; and Malika, meaning 'flower bud' in Nepali.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Bereaved Plymouth student celebrates GCSE results
A teenager who lost four family members in 12 months has passed her GCSEs and secured her place in further from Plymouth, said her dad, two grandparents and her cousin had died in the last who was 15 when her dad died in August 2024, said he was a "real character." On Thursday, the now 16-year-old opened her results praising a Barnardo's partnership service for providing a "safe place" that helped make her exam success possible. She said "there was nobody else like" her dad. "It had been really difficult going back to school after dad died."So in December, when I had my second round of GCSE mock exams, I was really trying to focus. "It felt like there was a lot of pressure to succeed."She said she "just couldn't believe it" when her nan died, shortly after her dad's death. Lilli said she tried to see the new year as an opportunity to move forward. However her grandad died in March 2025."After my dad and nan died I'd started to realise how precious time was, so I'd often go up and see him [grandad] after school. "I was supposed to be seeing him that day, but then my teacher pulled me out of my English mock exam, and I went outside to see my mum there crying. "I didn't know what to do - I was just numb. The third death in less than a year. I couldn't believe it."Lilli's family experienced another loss when her cousin died in July 2025. Lilli said after she received her results she had secured her place at sixth form and would study drama, criminology and sociology."I used to think I wanted to be a lawyer when I grew up," she said. "But now I think I'd like to help young people – just like people at the Takeaway Tuesdays service have helped me. Takeaway Tuesdays is supported by Barnardo's and the Co-op and is where young people prepare meals and eat together."I don't know what I would have done without it," added Lilli.
