Funding confirmed for universal infant free school meals

23 Jan 2014

Today marks a crucial milestone in what is set to be a golden year for school food.

The government has now finalised the funding that will be available for primary schools to deliver universal free school meals to all pupils in Reception, Year 1, and Year 2, beginning in September this year. £1bn has been committed for this policy in the budget for the next two years, with an allocation of £2.30 per meal taken. In addition, the government will be providing £150m capital to help schools upgrade their kitchens and dining rooms to meet the expected increased demand. The Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, and the Minister of State for Schools, David Laws, have jointly written a letter to Head teachers to inform them of this support for universal infant free school meals.

Read the letter to Directors of Children’s Services here.

Read the letter to Head teachers here.

The government has provided the funding. Now it’s in our hands to make the delivery of universal infant free school meals a success. Excellence does not come about by government decree: it is driven by great school leaders, and by imaginative cooks who are given the right circumstances and the right culture in which to flourish.

This is a fantastic opportunity for schools to examine their approach to food, and identify any ways in which it could be improved. Head teachers across the country understand that well-fed, happy children make better pupils. At the same time, many find the prospect of transforming their school meals service daunting.

But take heart. The successful free school meal pilots in Durham and Newham show that it can be done.

And help is at hand through the School Food Plan:

• A dedicated platform for sharing what works well for school food will soon be launching at www.schoolfoodplan.com.
• There is already a Q&A covering head teachers’ questions about universal infant free school meals.
• The Checklist for Head Teachers is available to download.
• And the DfE is contracting organisations to provide extra support to those primary schools which need it most.

The School Food Plan imagined a new golden age for school food, where well-trained, fulfilled and empowered cooks and caterers serve flavourful, fresh food, enjoyed by at least 70% of all pupils. That dream is closer now than ever previously hoped. Let’s make it a reality.