London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Feb 12, 2025

Sadiq Khan wants London’s free school meals scheme expanded across whole country

Sadiq Khan wants London’s free school meals scheme expanded across whole country

Free meals will make the crucial difference, say head teachers
Mayor Sadiq Khan says the scheme to provide free school meals for all primary school children in London should be extended nationwide.

The one-off £130 million programme, which comes into effect from September, is an effort to help struggling households amid the cost-of-living crisis. Funded by additional business rates income, it is estimated the move will help around 270,000 primary school pupils and save families in London around £440 per child across the year.

It marks a major victory for the Standard’s School Hunger Special Investigation, which highlighted the plight of the 210,000 primary and secondary pupils in London who live in homes on universal credit but miss out on free school meals.

Mr Khan told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This is personal to me. I benefited from free school meals as a child. My mum and dad worked incredibly hard but to help make sure they could pay the bills, as a lifeline to them, to give them more space to breathe financially, free school meals helped me and my brothers and sister.”

He said it was important for the scheme to be universal to eradicate any stigma around receiving free school meals.

Asked whether free school meals should be introduced nationwide, he said: “I am hoping that the lessons from London will show the case unarguably that universal free school meals in primary schools should be a must.”

London headteachers welcomed the move. Jared Brading, headteacher of Sacred Heart and St Mary’s RC primary schools in Battersea, said: “At a stroke the Mayor has lifted a huge burden from the shoulders of parents. The cost-of-living crisis is hitting all families and this will mean so much to those with school age children.”

Reema Reid, headteacher of Hollydale Primary School in Southwark, said: “This policy will make a huge difference to families across London. Finding dinner money for three or four children is a real struggle. What great news that every child in a London primary school will have a hot, nutritious meal to support their learning.”

The saving of £440 per child is based on an average cost of a hot meal of £2.30 over 190 school days. The Mayor added: “I have repeatedly urged the Government to provide free school meals to help already stretched families, but they have simply failed to act. This is why I’m stepping forward with an emergency £130m scheme that will ensure every single primary pupil in the capital receives free school meals.”

Around 210,000 pupils in London — across years three to 11 — live in households that rely on universal credit but miss out on free school meals, according to the Child Poverty Action Group. Around half of them are expected to be covered by the Mayor’s scheme. It still leaves around 700,000 children in poverty in England not receiving free school meals — including approximately 100,000 in London’s secondary schools and 600,000 outside the capital.

Campaigners welcomed the initiative. Victoria Benson, chief executive of Gingerbread, the single parent charity, said: “The cost of living crisis has been brutal for single parents and has meant that children have gone without basic essentials because household budgets have been stretched beyond breaking point.

“We have heard from many single parents that they have had to go without food. It will be a huge relief that their child will now be fed at school and we welcome the Mayor’s initiative.”

Research by accounting firm PwC published by the Standard has shown that investment in free school meals would yield a net economic benefit to society of £2.45 billion over 20 years.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Teacher Detained in Russia Freed Amid Optimism for Improved US-Russia Relations
EU-UK Security Pact Unhindered by Fishing Rights Dispute, Says EU President
Tories Criticize Proposed Chagos Islands Sovereignty Transfer Amid Escalating Cost Claims
World Leaders Promote Ethical and Inclusive AI Governance at Paris Summit
Deloitte US Revises Policies in Response to Evolving Political Climate
Apple Releases Critical Security Update Following Reports of Vulnerabilities
US Senate Moves Forward with Tulsi Gabbard's Nomination for Director of National Intelligence.
Israel Warns of Ending Gaza Ceasefire Amid Hostage Situation
King Abdullah II Dismisses US Proposal to Relocate Palestinians, Commits to Welcoming Children from Gaza.
Sam Altman Addresses Elon Musk's Offer to Acquire OpenAI
OpenAI Reconfirms Its Independence After Musk's $97 Billion Offer.
Elon Musk Cautions That the U.S. Could Face Bankruptcy Without Reductions in Federal Spending.
How Spain Transformed from High Unemployment to Eurozone Growth Leader
FEMA Allocated Fifty-Nine Million Dollars to House Illegal Migrants in Luxury Hotels, Triggers Investigation
Australian Billionaires Set to Encounter New Wealth Tax Under Greens Initiative
U.S. Secret Service Invests Two Million Dollars in High-Quality, Effective Recruitment Ad Directed by Michael Bay
MPs to Receive Proposed 2.8% Pay Increase, Raising Salaries to £93,904 – It’s Legal, and That’s Exactly the Problem
The European Union Shifts Focus to AI Innovation Amid Global Competition (or at least this is what they claim)
Europe's far-right leaders pledge to 'reclaim' the continent in the wake of Trump's reelection.
Keir Starmer Under Examination Regarding His Legal Strategy
Merz and Scholz Spar Over Migration and Economic Strategies in Pre-Election Discussion
"Marrow stupid": Senator John Kennedy Blasts UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Over Chagos Islands Transfer
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK Surge Reshapes Electoral Dynamics
Kemi Badenoch Faces Internal Criticism After 100 Days as Tory Leader
Campaigners Urge UK to Apologise for Forced Adoptions
Church of England Upholds Traditional Eucharistic Elements Amid Calls for Alternatives
Rayner Defends Approach at Grenfell Tower Meeting Amid Dismantling Plan
China Implements Tit-for-Tat Tariffs on US Goods Amid Trade Escalation
Italy and Wales Set for Six Nations Clash at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico
Ministry of Justice Apologises Over Prisoner Early Release Letter Error
Rare First Edition Harry Potter Book Sells for Over Twenty-One Thousand Pounds
Drax Power Station Under Scrutiny for Incomplete Wood Sourcing Reporting
UK Government Reaffirms Pledge to Build 1.5 Million New Homes by 2029
Freed Israeli Hostage Learns of Family's Death After Release from Gaza
French President Macron Employs Deepfake Technology to Advocate for AI Summit
Trump Names Musk to Investigate Government Fraud Amidst Controversy
Police Stop Ed Sheeran's Street Performance in Bengaluru
FBI Alerts Smartphone Users About Toll Scam Threat
Australian Educator Declares Identity as a Cat, Sparking Parental Backlash
Kremlin Addresses Claims of Trump-Putin Phone Conversation in Light of Ukraine Crisis
Trump Connects with Putin to Address the Ukraine Crisis
Super Bowl Ad Prices Soar to Record Highs Amid Streaming Surge
China Achieves 2030 Solar Energy Targets Early, Cuts Subsidies for Renewable Energy
Trump Signs Executive Order Prioritizing White South African Refugees
Europe Faces Growing Security Concerns and Trump's New Demands on Ukraine
Trump Revokes Security Clearances of Biden Officials, Including Blinken and Sullivan
Justin Bieber Sparks Concern as New Footage Raises Health Fears
European Right-Wing Leaders Celebrate Trump’s Impact on Global Politics
Trump Administration Directs Admiral to Leave Official Residence Within Three Hours
British Health Secretary Andrew Gavin Fired Over Controversial Messages
×