South Lanarkshire Extends Free School Meals to Hundreds More Secondary Pupils

In a significant expansion of the Free School Meals Programme, up to 425 additional pupils in S1–S3 across South Lanarkshire will receive free meals after the summer holidays. The council has been selected as one of eight across Scotland to take part in the pilot for the 2025–26 school year.

Eligible pupils in S1 to S3 who receive the Scottish Child Payment will automatically qualify for free lunches. The initiative is part of the next phase of the Scottish Government’s efforts to tackle child poverty and improve educational attainment.

Council Leader Joe Fagan stated:

“I welcome the news that hundreds of pupils across South Lanarkshire will be able to receive this vital assistance. Extending free school meals to pupils in need in our secondary schools is an ambition of our council and this pilot can help us realise it.

“It means that we will now be able to open the option of healthy and nutritious school meals to more young people each day of the school year, and we will be working with the Scottish Government to finalise this and let eligible families apply in time for the new school year.”

Impact on East Kilbride Families

East Kilbride, with four large secondary schools—Calderglen, St Andrew’s & St Bride’s, Duncanrig, and Sanderson—has approximately 6,800 pupils in S1 to S3. While exact eligibility data is not publicly available, estimates suggest that over 500 pupils in East Kilbride could qualify for the scheme based on current Scottish Child Payment figures.

This means a significant proportion of local families may benefit directly from the pilot.

Next Steps

The council will release further details on how the pilot will operate—including which schools are participating and how families can apply—once the Scottish Government finalises its plan. Families are encouraged to ensure they are receiving the Scottish Child Payment and to monitor official communications over the summer.

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