Last November we set out to maximise the take-up of free school meals (FSM) in Calderdale. Our aims were clear – make sure children get the free meals they are entitled to and secure the resulting funding boost for schools to provide extra support in the classroom.

Ten weeks later we had awarded FSM to an additional 600 children whose families hadn't taken up their entitlement. We also brought £685,000 of extra funding into primary and secondary schools through the resulting pupil premium, which schools receive from the Department for Education (DfE) based on their FSM numbers.