Free school meal pupils falling further behind their peers, report warns

# Free school meal pupils falling further behind their peers, report warns

**Exclusive analysis by the LOPINUZE Education Desk**

The gap in academic attainment between pupils eligible for free school meals and their wealthier classmates has widened for the first time in over a decade, according to a landmark report published today by the Education Policy Institute (EPI). The think tank warns that the new prime minister must target the issue with "laser-like focus" or risk entrenching a generation of inequality.

The EPI’s annual “Closing the Gap?” report reveals that by the end of secondary school, disadvantaged pupils are now on average 19.2 months behind their peers in core subjects like English and mathematics. This represents a 0.4-month increase from the previous year and the first statistically significant widening of the gap since 2012. The data is drawn from the national pupil database covering over 600,000 students in England.

“This is a deeply concerning reversal of a long-term trend,” said Dr. Emily Drayson, senior researcher at the EPI and lead author of the report. “For years, we saw incremental progress. Now, the disadvantage gap is growing again, and it is hitting the most vulnerable students hardest. The new government cannot afford to treat this as a secondary issue; it requires laser-like focus from Number 10.”

The report identifies that the pandemic-era disruption, followed by the cost-of-living crisis, has disproportionately affected low-income families. Pupils in persistently disadvantaged schools, where more than 40% of students are eligible for free meals, are now 24.6 months behind—a gap equivalent to more than two full school years. In contrast, the gap in the most affluent schools has remained stable at 8.1 months.

**Regional disparities and policy failure**

The EPI analysis also highlights stark regional variations. In the North East and Yorkshire, the disadvantage gap is 22.1 months, while in London it stands at 16.3 months. The report attributes London’s relative success to a combination of targeted funding, strong early years provision, and a more diverse teaching workforce.

“We are seeing a two-tier system emerging,” said Sir John Colville, former chief inspector of schools and a contributor to the report. “The pupil premium—the extra funding schools receive for disadvantaged students—has been eroded in real terms since 2015. It is no longer a sufficient lever to close the gap. The prime minister must restore its value and tie it to specific, evidence-based interventions.”

The EPI recommends that the new government immediately increase the pupil premium by at least 15%—an estimated additional £400 million per year—and link it to mandatory tutoring and mental health support. The report also calls for a renewed focus on early years education, noting that the gap is already 4.6 months by age five.

**Forward-looking analysis**

The political calculus for the new prime minister is unforgiving. With a general election looming, the EPI’s data provides a stark warning: without urgent intervention, the disadvantage gap is projected to widen to over 22 months by 2028. This would represent the highest level since records began in 2006. The report does, however, note that targeted investment in schools with high concentrations of poverty could reverse the trend within two academic years.

For the Finance Desk, the implications are clear: the long-term economic cost of a widening skills gap—estimated at £20 billion per year in lost productivity—far outweighs the short-term cost of increased education spending. The Education Policy Institute’s report is not merely a warning; it is a roadmap. Whether the new prime minister has the will to follow it remains the defining question of this parliament.