More kids than ever claiming free school meals in areas like Hucknall

And in Ashfield, latest figures show there are 5,346 children currently claiming free school meals – the highest number in the county.

The figures were revealed by Coun Daniel Williamson (Ash Ind) at a meeting of Nottinghamshire County Council’s children and young people’s committee.

The figures are the result of research by the Independent Alliance on the council and showed the number of pupils claiming free school meals compared with all pupils in years reception to year 11 in all primary, secondary and special schools in the county (including academies) but excludes independent schools.

The figures show that there is a dramatically higher percentage of children claiming free school meals in north Nottinghamshire and in Ashfield alone, out of the 17,815 pupils on school rolls, 30 per cent are now claiming free meals.

The Association of School and College Leaders said the coronavirus crisis had worsened child poverty across England, and called on the Government to make solving it a top priority.

Children are entitled to free school meals if their parent or carer is on benefits, including income support or receiving universal credit, with a household income of less than £7,400 a year.

Coun Williamson, a member of Independent Alliance, said, “These latest figures show that child poverty is at its highest level in Nottinghamshire since records began.

"For more than one in five pupils to have to claim free school meals is a truly shocking statistic.

"We have a child poverty crisis in this county – and the figures show that real inequalities exist with a far higher percentage of pupils in need in places like Ashfield – compared to places like Rushcliffe where child poverty is close to three times lower.

"We now need more intervention from Government to cope with the lower wages, higher unemployment and the cost of living crisis that is impacting the poorest residents in our county.”