Is it time the free school meals for all infant children went?

[BecomeStronger]

If I'm honest I never understood their introduction, but it's clear were facing a period of cuts as we (hopefully) come out of this crisis.

I completely support the Rashford campaign to support families in need, whatever age their children are, but to provide meals for families on good incomes when we can't afford the things we need?

@CouldBeOuting

It would be great if the government actually gave schools enough money to cover these “free” infant school meals. They give is £2.34 per infant child taking a meal on October census day. Our caterer charges £2.50 per meal so already 16p short. Then if we take more children on roll after census day that’s a full £2.50 per day. This money comes out our already VERY tight budget. My school and others in our area have had to make people redundant. We have classes being taught by unqualified teachers because we cannot afford qualified teachers. “Free” meals cost the school! BUT for some of our children it genuinely is their only decent meal. It’s a rock and hard place situation.....

I really wish schools would explain census day more to parents. I think the vast majority of people would send their kids school dinner on census day if they realised that the school funds would benefit (in some cases quite considerably).

In the last two schools mine have attended and I've been involved with the PTA we've made a big thing of census day and it's made a big difference. A lot of parents just don't realise what it is and why it's so important.

Same with encouraging people entitled to FSM to apply for them even if they'll never use them because their child prefers packed lunches.

My children to to an Indy prep where school dinners are included - no option of sandwiches. I notice a big difference between there and the state schools I worked in. There are barely any fussy eaters, they eat the full 3 courses with relish (they are delicious as parents can book in for one as well). There are also very few overweight children in the school. Obviously they do more sport in the curriculum as well but I honestly think that a healthy cooked meal is better than some rubbish some children take in lunchboxes. All dinners are served family style to tables for children to help themselves/serve up and teachers sit with them for a free lunch as well as the headteacher. It just a makes for a lovely family atmosphere with lots of chatter and time to teach manners.

Some of my very wealthy friends have secondary children at state schools and they eat absolute crap as it isn’t policed. Sometimes they eat nothing, sometimes it’s a plate of chips or just a chocolate bar. There’s a lot to be said for having free meals at secondary with nice big salad bars etc. But it just wouldn’t be funded.

And sadly, often the wealthiest families have 2 parents working long hours who don’t have time to cook or prepare healthy lunchboxes and the kids are just left to their own devices.

i really wish schools would explain census day more to parents. I think the vast majority of people would send their kids school dinner on census day if they realised that the school funds would benefit (in some cases quite considerably).

That’s why we, and many other schools, try to put a “special” meal on for census day with the foods that we lknow our children will want. It doesn’t make up for the fact we’ve taken on 10 children since census day - so not only the meals but the actual funding per child we won’t be getting.....

I agree op. While i think means testing has some way to go to be really helpful for all that need it, i've had 3 dcs now get free school meals in key stage 1 when it would be no hardship at all for me to pay. I thnk they should scrap it and review the means testing to be more flexible across all ages. Those who can afford to should pay. I say this as someone whose main hot meal a day came from FSM as a child. Now i can pay, i think i should be expected to.

@CouldBeOuting

i really wish schools would explain census day more to parents. I think the vast majority of people would send their kids school dinner on census day if they realised that the school funds would benefit (in some cases quite considerably).

That’s why we, and many other schools, try to put a “special” meal on for census day with the foods that we lknow our children will want. It doesn’t make up for the fact we’ve taken on 10 children since census day - so not only the meals but the actual funding per child we won’t be getting.....

I've worked in a few schools that had special menus without explaining why. I think sometimes they forget parents don't always know the inner workings of school funding (I certainly didn't before I worked in schools).

This is one of the reasons I really like the last head I worked for. She had zero shame in being very open with parents (to the annoyance of the deputy head) and detailed exactly how much it was worth to the school.

One year there were 40, yes 40, tins of biscuits/chocolates dropped off throughout December in the run up to Chrstimas for the staff room. This was on top of things teachers were given personally. The following year, after it had been mentioned a few times, there were still some biscuits and chocolates, but there were also a fuck-tonne of white board markers and glue-sticks

I think children sitting down to a hot meal together at lunch is important.
Our local school has no kitchen though - so hundreds of sandwiches are thrown away every term.
I’d rather they put the funding into school kitchens and then asked parents if they actually need the service.

Why are infants more deserving of nutritious meals? Children of all ages need good quality nutritious food. For example n the U.K., we throw them into secondary school where they can choose all kinds of unhealthy rubbish despite the fact they are growing rapidly in those years. We'd do so much better if we forced every child to sit down to a balanced meal every day.

@Taswama

If you feel bad about your DC getting free school meals, I suggest setting up a direct debit to your local food bank.

I think all primary kids should get them personally, there are plenty of families who don't qualify for FSM but still struggle.

Excellent point

Our school has started to be much clearer about census day. Even the fussy kids like mine are encouraged to try school lunch on census day with a back-up packed lunch if their parents think it's necessary.

My DD has packed lunch 4 days out of 5. So the school ends up with £350 of funding for those 4 days that can be spent on something else.

I do wonder whether it might be better to scrap UFSM in favour of higher thresholds throughout school for FSM eligibility.

I do wonder whether it might be better to scrap UFSM in favour of higher thresholds throughout school for FSM eligibility.

Schools would miss out on the funding that way.

Also lots of FSM’s go unclaimed. Some through not knowing they are entitled or how to claim, but also through embarrassment.

Yes. No free school meals in northern Ireland even from pre school age unless you are a low income family which is only fair.
If it was everyone then you would have lots of families that have a holiday abroad every year but can't afford their children's lunch ?
We are a low income family literally just earn above the fsm threshold so we have to pay ...we don't have foreign holidays or any luxuries at all in life because we have pretty much no disposable income but we still manage to afford to feed our children....if we were earning less we wouldn't be able to afford it but we would then be entitled to fsm on low income

Yes

Maybe they should set up a scheme whereby those that earn a higher income and wish to pay for their childs meals, the money they pay goes into a pot for the ones that cant afford them.

I disagree. It's about so much more than cost, it's about feeding children who's parents won't - not just can't. It's about exposing children to completely different tastes (not the same at all but now that DD is at nursery four days a week they feed her such a range of things that I don't at home - and we have a fairly healthy diet and basically feed her what we eat - yet she is eating things I wouldn't even think of making). The same principle applies to school meals, children are learning about healthy options and portion control and possibly having their only meal a day that isn't convenience food.
It's about inclusivity - no one feels singled out for getting a free meal nor is there the inevitable lunch envy of the children with luxuries in their lunchboxes. No exposure to the more extreme allergens - no peanuts on site!
Mostly, though, it's about ensuring children are well fed so they can focus on learning during the most formative years. Yes, people who could afford to pay will get free meals, but that is such a small portion of the overall population of children. We could afford to pay, DD wouldn't go hungry without them, but that money will come from somewhere, as it will in most families. This is an extra hand that will help us, and gives us room somewhere else.

The percentage of people who don't feel any benefit from this is much smaller than you think.

I would like to see free school meals extended throughout the school system and child benefit scrapped for over 5's to help pay for it.
The problem with means testing is that those parents who are working but are still cash poor miss out.

@Poundpup

I would like to see free school meals extended throughout the school system and child benefit scrapped for over 5's to help pay for it. The problem with means testing is that those parents who are working but are still cash poor miss out.

You can't take £20 or £13 a week off the poorest people to pay for school meals that they'd get free at the moment. That would simply be punishing the poorest families.

True but I would up the universal credit child element payment instead. This payment is already means tested and is targeted at those with the most need.

I thought they were talking about extending them to cover all primary school children.

@Poundpup

True but I would up the universal credit child element payment instead. This payment is already means tested and is targeted at those with the most need.

Removing child benefit would have a negative impact on a vast number of women. That's one of the reasons the means testing was so opposed.

Plus UC is affected by the benefits cap so a large number of people wouldn't get any extra (a lot haven't got the extra per month given in the pandemic)

@lyralalala I did not realise that there was a link between child benefits and ni contributions. Good to know.

In this case maybe the eligibility for free school meals needs to be adjusted and the annual gross income figure is increased. Although, I have no idea how many children this would bring into the scheme and the associated costs.

Personally, I am happy to pay a little more in taxes to ensure that school aged children have access to at least one meal a day. No child should go hungry.

@LightUpLetters

Yes i needs to be scrapped.

We earn 198k a year between us and got free school meals.

Bonkers!

You also got free education- maybe that should be wrapped too?

I'd rather pay more taxes and have free schools meals for all children. I would especially like to feed KS4. Too many teenagers are going without a good during the school day.