Children in County Durham who qualify for free school meals will be automatically enrolled in a pilot scheme starting in September. 

Families currently apply for the meals, meaning some pupils slip through the net. 

Up to 2,000 pupils are set to benefit from the scheme if they choose to take part, Durham County Council said. 

Letters will be sent to parents from next week inviting them to opt out if they do not want to take part. 

Following the pilot a full evaluation will take place in October 2024 to provide insight intothe future model.

The evaluation will examine the successful take-up rate, resident/school feedback, lessons learned, and any financial aspects including the costs of the pilot and the funding subsequently made available to schools.

The operation of an ‘opt out’ rather than an ‘opt in’ process has been successfully delivered in several other local authorities and has been proven to remove barriers to families receiving the valuable support.

It comes as around 11 per cent of pupils entitled to free school meals in the North East are not registered, figures show. 

Entitlement to free school meals has been shown to benefit a family by up to £400 per year for each child in receipt.

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Durham County Council said: “Using a range of data sources we have identified 2,000 families who are likely to be eligible for free school meals but are not in receipt of them and on August 5, letters will be sent to these families explaining the pilot and inviting them to opt-out if they do not wish to have their eligibility checked.

“Families will have three weeks to opt out, after which eligible checks will be completed and schools and families will be informed of the outcomes in mid-September.

“The evaluation outcome of the pilot will be shared with members, schools, and residents as we look to highlight this positive area of work on our website.”