
The Education Policy Institute think-tank has become the latest body to call for automatic enrolment for FSMs after publishing a report spelling out key problems with the current approach.
The study (Campbell et al, 2025) is clear: “Overall, across all years, fewer children are registered for FSM than are estimated to be in poverty. This is partly by design: because the family income threshold for registration is so low (£7,400 per annum). It is also because there is under-registration among eligible children.
“Additionally, FSM eligibility criteria do not account for factors such as housing costs and family size, which are heavily associated with poverty.”
Register now, read forever
Thank you for visiting Headteacher Update and reading some of our content for professionals in primary education. Register now for free to get unlimited access to all content.
What's included:
-
Unlimited access to news, best practice articles and podcasts
-
New content and e-bulletins delivered straight to your inbox every Monday
Already have an account? Sign in here