School Census Day

[Dilbertian]

Why is it so important that all pupils order a school dinner on School Census Day?

Not completely sure but think it's to do with funding?

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.tes.com/news/millions-funding-depends-tomorrows-infant-meals%3famp

Schools get paid an amount for Infant Free School Meals depending on the percentage take-up on two of the three Census Days each year. When budgets are tight, it can make quite a difference.

According to that article schools get £2.30 to spend on each meal. So if 95% of the children order a school meal on census day, but normally only 50% of the children order a school meal, does that mean the school will effectively have nearly £3 to spend on each school meal?

Our HT said the more children that order meals on census day the more funding they get per child on PP which means there's more money overall to spend on the school. Apparently it doesn't just affect the amount they get for FSM but their overall funding. No idea why it's decided like that.

When I was a primary governor the universal FSM funding wasnt ring fenced, the lunches won't change but the school overall will have more money to spend on whatever it chooses or if for some reason lots more children start having them the school would need to cut another budget to pay for them, they wouldnt get half portions or just bread and water

Utterlydone that sounds like a head who's a bit confused! The amount that schools get in PP per child is fixed. The numbers having a free meal on Census day has no bearing on that. (Though the number of children for whom the school receives PP will depend on how many PP children are on roll on Census day. But I think that number is taken from the January not the October census. Nothing to do with how many have lunches though.)