Child poverty remains one of the greatest challenges we face as a nation. In my role leading E-ACT, one of England’s largest academy trusts, I see every day how deeply deprivation affects our young people.

For thousands of children, poverty creates barriers that limit their access to opportunities and threaten their future prospects.

That’s why I wholeheartedly support the government’s recent decision to extend free school meal (FSM) eligibility to all children in families receiving universal credit, removing the income threshold from September 2026.

It’s a powerful change - but there is more we can do. At E-ACT, we’re using every tool and resource available to identify families who are already eligible for FSM but aren’t claiming. We have harnessed the power of big data to meet this challenge head-on.

Data-driven insights

By combining national deprivation statistics from the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) with detailed student postcode data, we have been able to identify over 3,000 children across our academies who are likely eligible for FSM but who are not currently registered to receive them.

This work has the potential to unlock approximately £3 million of additional support for families in some of the country’s most deprived communities.

What excites me most about this work is the real, immediate impact it can have. By reaching out directly to these families and helping them claim their entitlement, we are ensuring children do not miss out on vital nutrition and the extra support that comes with FSM eligibility.

The potential of joined-up working

But it’s more than just about meals. The additional funding generated feeds directly back into schools, allowing us to offer targeted pastoral care, enrichment activities and academic interventions designed to help these young people overcome the barriers that poverty places in their path.

The key lesson from this work is that tackling child poverty requires innovation, precision and a relentless focus on those most in need.

Data-driven approaches enable us to go beyond broad policies and general assumptions, allowing schools to pinpoint exactly where support is needed most. It also ensures that funding like the pupil premium is allocated with maximum impact.

This initiative has also opened our eyes to the potential of joined-up working between schools and government departments.

While we can combine national deprivation data with our own records to identify eligible children, having secure access to anonymised Department for Work and Pensions data could take this work to the next level.

It would enable even more precise identification of families entitled to support and accelerate the pace at which we close the gap between entitlement and uptake.

Tackling poverty’s pernicious impact

This is particularly important now that we have welcomed several new schools into our trust serving communities with similarly high levels of deprivation. The urgency to address poverty’s impact on attendance, behaviour, outcomes and overall wellbeing has never been greater.

We know that deprivation is not a single issue but a complex web of factors that influence children’s education.

Our data tools allow us to understand how poverty intersects with factors such as English as an additional language (EAL), special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and gender, helping us design interventions tailored to individual needs.

We must not underestimate the transformative power of education when children’s basic needs are met.

Collective challenge

Ensuring that no child misses out on free school meals is a fundamental part of this. Nutrition, stability and the security that comes with knowing their families are supported lay the foundation for learning, growth and success.

Our collective challenge is to build on government policy with practical, data-led initiatives that find the families who have been missed and deliver timely support. This means being proactive, relentless and innovative in the pursuit of equity.

At E-ACT, we refuse to let the experience of poverty define our young people’s futures. Through determination and collaboration, we can break the cycle of disadvantage and give every child the chance to succeed, regardless of their postcode or background.

Tom Campbell is the CEO of E-ACT

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