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Select Committee · Education Committee

Children's Wellbeing and School Bill

Status: Open Opened: 21 Jan 2025 5 recommendations 8 conclusions 1 report
Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Children's Wellbeing and Schoo… HC 732 28 Feb 2025 13 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

1 item
9 Recommendation 2nd Report – Scrutiny of the Children's… Accepted in Part

Introduce auto-enrolment for all eligible children in free school meals without delay.

We consider that the arguments for auto-enrolment in free school meals for those children currently eligible are conclusive. In the interests of alleviating hunger in schools and improving health and educational outcomes for the poorest children, auto-enrolment must be brought in without delay. (Conclusion, Paragraph 35) 27 Read more

Government response AI summary
The government acknowledges the importance of free school meals and commits to making it quicker and easier for families to sign up by upgrading the Eligibility Checking System and exploring options for data sharing and Universal Credit integration, but does not commit to full auto-enrolment.
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Department for Education

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
4 Feb 2025 Clare Canning · Broadleaf Home Ed Co-operative, Councillor Bev Craig · Local Government Association (LGA), Daniel Kebede · National Education Union, Dr Rebecca Montacute · Sutton Trust, John Barneby · Oasis Community Learning, Kate Anstey · Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), Lindsey MacDonald · Magic Breakfast, Sam Freedman · The Institute for Government, Thomas Brooke · Office of the Schools Adjudicator View ↗

Who gave evidence

9 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Clare Canning · Head of Centre Broadleaf Home Ed Co-operative 1
Councillor Bev Craig · Leader, Manchester City Council and Vice Chair Local Government Association (LGA) 1
Daniel Kebede · General Secretary National Education Union 1
Dr Rebecca Montacute · Head of Research and Policy Sutton Trust 1
John Barneby · CEO Oasis Community Learning 1
Kate Anstey · Head of Education Policy Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) 1
Lindsey MacDonald · CEO Magic Breakfast 1
Sam Freedman · Senior Fellow The Institute for Government 1
Thomas Brooke · Joint interim Chief School Adjudicator Office of the Schools Adjudicator 1

Correspondence

5 letters
DateDirectionTitle
6 May 2025 To cttee Letter from Minister for School Standards on Children's Wellbeing and Schools B…
23 Apr 2025 From cttee Letter to Minister for Schools Standards on Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bi…
18 Mar 2025 To cttee Letter from Minister for School Standards on Scrutiny of the Children's Wellbei…
4 Feb 2025 — CWS 05 - Written evidence from Broadleaf Home Ed Co-operative to Children's Wel…
7 Jan 2025 — Correspondence with Minister for School Standards on Children’s Wellbeing Bill,…