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Original poster

London to offer free school meals to all primary pupils for a year

135 replies

Eastie77Returns · 19/02/2023 22:09

Reported in the Guardian and apparently will begin in September.

Two questions spring to mind: a) why is this only happening in London and b) wouldn’t it make more sense to target this and increase the ridiculous limit for free dinners (households with an income above £7k do not qualify) rather than giving every single child, including those from affluent families, free meals?

OP posts:
itsgettingweird · 20/02/2023 07:59

I think it's a great idea.

Hopefully other councils will find a way to roll it out.

And for those saying parents who can pay or they could pay it would be even better if a scheme existed whereby parents could voluntarily pay an amount towards the meals if they want to. A bit like the old 20p towards cooking.

Or a school fund set up - many have this - whereby voluntary contributions can be made.

School budgets are shocking. Anybody wishing to contribute some way should be able to do so.

MarshaBradyo · 20/02/2023 08:00

I’d really like to see ULEZ funds go towards exercise type stuff for dc too

toomuchlaundry · 20/02/2023 08:02

You can pay donations to schools

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Cost of living General education General food
Simonjt · 20/02/2023 08:10

ooherrmissus14 · 20/02/2023 07:52

They could easily do this via the school census which is completed three times a year.

The school census is just data though so the school only have that information based on who has applied already. Families move off and on the FSM element of it so it would put the responsibility on schools to continually have to gather that information which would be difficult to do

You misunderstood me, the school census would allow schools to be informed of who is eligible for FSM by the LEA/central government, not the other way around.

Simonjt · 20/02/2023 08:11

itsgettingweird · 20/02/2023 07:59

I think it's a great idea.

Hopefully other councils will find a way to roll it out.

And for those saying parents who can pay or they could pay it would be even better if a scheme existed whereby parents could voluntarily pay an amount towards the meals if they want to. A bit like the old 20p towards cooking.

Or a school fund set up - many have this - whereby voluntary contributions can be made.

School budgets are shocking. Anybody wishing to contribute some way should be able to do so.

You can already do this at most schools, but most don’t outwardly advertise it.

LlynTegid · 20/02/2023 08:15

If free school meals are to be a success, you have to tackle the quality and range offered. A good cook makes a great deal of difference, probably the most important thing maybe apart from children being influenced by friends.

BlackFriday · 20/02/2023 08:55

"A good cook?"
The kitchen staff prepare what they are told to do by the catering company.

Original poster
Eastie77Returns · 20/02/2023 09:16

toomuchlaundry · 20/02/2023 07:22

In my experience school catering normally runs at a loss so this initiative may be detrimental to school budgets, especially if there is a drop in parents applying for FSM so reducing the amount of pupil premium received by the school

Yes, agree with this and the same point raised by @ooherrmissus14

DC’s school sends out a letter at least once a year urging parents who might be eligible to apply for FSM as every penny they receive in Pupil Premium payments counts. How will the correct level of PP now be assessed if every child receives free meals?

I applaud the intention but also agree with a PP that given we are in London, there will be a significant number of families who do not need this at all. Even in boroughs with very high levels of deprivation (Hackney, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Islington…) there are children from low income families living and attending school alongside those whose families earn 6 figures and live in £1 million + terraced homes. It means that policies such as this that are applied to every single child represent a colossal waste of resources and should be targeted more efficiently.

OP posts:
toomuchlaundry · 20/02/2023 09:27

@BlackFriday not all schools use a catering company

sashh · 20/02/2023 09:49

Nimbostratus100 · 19/02/2023 22:57

whats the point of putting millions into providing extra food for children when 75p out of every pound is spent on staffing rather than food? And of that food that 25p (at most, I suspect it less) is spent on, how much ends up inside a child, and how much in the bin. 50/50 would you say? Thats just useless - school dinners are such a colossal waste of money. very poor nutritionally as well

Show quote history

Even if all that is true then it is still 25p of food in the child.

School meals do not have to be hot food or completely hot meals, soup and a sandwich is fine.

And that 75p is going to someone who might otherwise not be working.

There are other benefits to school meals, learning to sit at a table and use cutlery is a skill not everyone learns at home.

AmeliaEarhart · 20/02/2023 09:59

Parents can still register for FSM for Pupil Premiums. My daughter’s school and the school I used to work at (both Islington) ask parents who are eligible to tick the box on the form so they still get the PP payment.

At my daughter’s school there are quite a few affluent parents, and they are encouraged to donate the money they’d be paying for KS2 lunches to the school via the PTA. We do this, and it gets used for enrichment activities and equipment (PGL places, sensory room etc).

noblegiraffe · 20/02/2023 10:09

It means that policies such as this that are applied to every single child represent a colossal waste of resources and should be targeted more efficiently.

But they are not being targeted more effectively by the people who could do this - the government.

Are you happy to sit around and wait for the government that voted for FSM kids to go hungry in the holidays during a pandemic to actually do something about this? Because moaning about this policy which is trying to plug those gaps suggests that you are.

TheGold · 20/02/2023 10:12

My kids (now teens) had universal free school meals from nursery to the end of Year Two in our London borough. I thought it was a London wide initiative back then? Would’ve been around 2009-2015-ish?

I think it’s a good idea. It’s less administrative faff for schools and helpful to all families in a cost of living crisis.

Inkpotlover · 20/02/2023 10:22

Mardyface · 20/02/2023 07:39

I think this is a bold and brilliant move from Sadiq Kahn, just like the ULEZ which was inconvenient to me when it came in centrally but had literally made the air taste nicer.

My youngest had free school meals throughout infant school and they were of the same quality as all the rest (and as an infant school that's not because of the staff used by the older kids meals).

SK is actually putting children first unlike anyone else with the power to do so in this country.

This. ^

How can putting food in kids' bellies be a bad thing?! It's just for one year, to get families through the CoL crisis and until food inflation starts to fall. We all know the CoL crisis isn't just affecting the poorest either, it's affecting many demographics. As a family we're doing okay compared to most, but with water, council tax, phone, broadband and energy bills rising in April, I would have been so grateful for this taking the pressure off and lowering our food bills a bit. (We're in London but our DC are in secondary now.)

toomuchlaundry · 20/02/2023 10:42

@AmeliaEarhart parents can still apply for FSM but many parents don't think about it if they are automatically getting FSM, it takes more effort on the school to encourage parents to apply.

ferneytorro · 20/02/2023 11:07

TheGold · 20/02/2023 10:12

My kids (now teens) had universal free school meals from nursery to the end of Year Two in our London borough. I thought it was a London wide initiative back then? Would’ve been around 2009-2015-ish?

I think it’s a good idea. It’s less administrative faff for schools and helpful to all families in a cost of living crisis.

My daughter did too, not means tested. That was east lancs.

Reugny · 20/02/2023 11:12

LakeTiticaca · 19/02/2023 23:04

The money saved by parents will be wiped out by Khans low emissions charge which will bankrupt half of London

85% of vehicles within Greater London are compliant with it.

This is partly due to the last scrappage scheme in 2017.

Wnikat · 20/02/2023 11:13

They should just raise the threshold on who qualifies rather than giving them to everybody. E.g if you qualify for universal credit.

toomuchlaundry · 20/02/2023 11:17

Universal infant free schools meals (ie KS1 children) were introduced in 2014

littlemousebigcheese · 20/02/2023 11:19

my daughters school offer free meals for reception, year 1 and 2 but unfortunately not many children like the food and about 80% take a packed lunch now. It's so frustrating as I hate the faff every morning but she just doesn't eat enough otherwise.

noblegiraffe · 20/02/2023 11:20

Wnikat · 20/02/2023 11:13

They should just raise the threshold on who qualifies rather than giving them to everybody. E.g if you qualify for universal credit.

They should. They are not, despite repeated appeals to them to do so. They being the government.

What will be happening outside of London, and what is currently happening, is that children are going hungry.

The government don’t care.

PseudoBadger · 20/02/2023 11:28

People who call him "Khan" in 'that' tone generally aren't worth bothering with

BigGreen · 20/02/2023 11:43

It's great, I'm so glad there's someone in a position of power that actually gaf about hungry kids.

NewNameForXmas · 20/02/2023 12:55

My school asks for parent details on the child's application form and apply on their behalf.

Sapphire387 · 20/02/2023 13:27

Some people on here are actually arguing against free school meals for kids, as though most families' budgets are not being stretched by the cost of living crisis 😫

There is a huge amount of poverty in London. This is a good idea - good on Sadiq.

Not only does this save families money, it just makes life that little bit easier when you're rushing to get the kids to school, get to work etc. Not everyone lives in perfect circumstances. I know that when I was widowed with two young children, free school meals were brilliant (it was the KS1 scheme). Not only did it save money at a difficult time, but I was struggling to get my head together and look after the kids. Not having to think about lunchboxes sounds like a small thing but when you're in a crisis, it can help if only just a little.

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