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Free school meals for eligible secondary school pupils
North Ayrshire Council is encouraging families to take up the offer of free school meals for secondary school pupils in S1, S2 and S3, if they are eligible to do so.
From Wednesday 20 August, families with secondary school pupils who are not currently eligible for free school meals but are in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment, will be eligible to access a free school meal.
Nutritious free school meals can save families almost £400 per year for every child or young person, while also having health benefits and supporting attainment. The provision of free school meals remains an important element of North Ayrshire Council’s strategic ambitions to reduce child poverty and improve wellbeing.
Currently, the Scottish Government’s free school meal provision covers all Primary 1 to Primary 5 pupils, as well as expanded provision for children in Primary 6 and 7 if their parent or caregiver is in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment.
North Ayrshire Council is proud to be one of eight pilot local authorities to receive temporary funding that will now see the expansion include S1 to S3 school pupils in all nine of our secondary schools, meaning that even more young people across North Ayrshire will have access to a free meal during term time.
Funding has been provided for one school year; therefore, this temporary provision will run from Wednesday 20 August 2025 until Tuesday 30 June 2026.
A data sharing agreement has been put in place providing details of those who are eligible under the expanded provision. As such, all eligible young people will be auto-enrolled for the service and no application is required for this group. Credit will be applied daily to all eligible accounts to access a meal deal.
Councillor Shaun Macaulay, Cabinet Member for Education and Young People said: “The Scottish Child Payment is already helping families who may be struggling during the ongoing Cost-of-Living crisis as parents and carers have the weekly challenge of making ends meet.
“With the next phase of the free school meals roll-out now on the horizon for secondary school pupils in S1 to S3, we hope that all eligible families take full advantage to ensure that more secondary school pupils can get access to healthy and nutritious food for free in their own school.”
The plans are part of the Scottish Government’s strategy to reduce child poverty as well as to promote healthy eating.
In North Ayrshire, work has already been happening behind the scenes to reduce queuing times in secondary schools including new pre-order machines in schools as well as QR codes being available as an alternative to PINs at the tills.
In addition, older dining halls have been redecorated with new furniture added, new design work, and extra storage and food preparation areas incorporated throughout. The re-design of some of the dining hall layouts will also help to streamline lunchtime service across all schools.
Quote: I would like to take this opportunity to share my thanks to the Facilities Management staff who have been working hard at each stage of the meal expansion programme to ensure we are equipped and ready to make the transitions required. I understand that many secondary school pupils may enjoy venturing out at lunchtime to purchase lunch from other venues, however I would encourage eligible pupils to consider having a regular healthy and nutritious free school meal if they can as the money they will save will go a long way. Our Customer Service Centre will be on hand to support residents with any enquiries ahead of the roll-out. Thank you to everyone involved to ensure things go smoothly.
Quote from: Councillor Shaun Macaulay, Cabinet Member for Education and Young People
Ordering via the Fusion app is also being actively encouraged to beat the queues. Please ensure you have registered for an iPayimpact account which we use for all school meals (paid and free meals), for your young person to get access to the Fusion app for pre-ordering. North Ayrshire uses the iPayimpact system for school meals and the school shop. Parents and carers can sign up for an iPayimpact account to manage their child/young person’s account, place orders and view transactions. The system allows you to pre-order from home (for primary schools) or have access to the Fusion app for the secondary school's pre-order service. Visit the dedicated webpage to get registered.
Don’t forget that iPayimpact is the also the system used by schools for trips, lessons or other purchases for educational purposes.
For iPayimpact queries or for help registering for an account contact: FacilitiesManagementTeam@north-ayrshire.gov.uk
If you need help with the cost of living, support is available.
- Visit the council’s dedicated Cost of Living webpage - this includes information on free school meals, clothing grants, finance support, energy support and more.
- Residents can also contact the Money Smart team. Money Smart provides Welfare Rights assistance and representation to North Ayrshire residents to ensure they receive their legal entitlement to state benefits.
- For all other enquiries, contact the Customer Contact Centre on 01294 310 000 or visit the website.
The Scottish Child Payment is £26.70 per week for each eligible child, under 16, looked after by a parent or carer. It is paid to those living in Scotland and who is the main person looking after a child.
Find out more info online.
Published: 11 August 2025