School meals – 2021/22 statistical bulletin

The Department of Education has taken a decision to suspend the annual School Meals Uptake Census for 2021/22. The Department will not publish a Statistical bulletin on uptake of school meals in Northern Ireland schools in 2021/22. However, the Education Authority will be providing the Department with high-level information on school meals uptake on Census day 2021/22.

Please note the following:

This does not affect information on numbers of pupils entitled to Free School Meals, which will continue to be part of the information collected by the Department as part of the main DE School Census.

Analytical Services Unit within the Department are reviewing the School Meals Uptake Census and related statistical outputs. We would welcome users’ feedback on the outputs to inform this process. To give us your feedback please click on the following link: 

Back to top