Westminster City Council will ensure all children attending state-funded primary schools in Westminster will receive a free school lunch – saving families up to £550 per child, per year.

Starting in January, the council will fund school lunches for all Key Stage 2 children (Years 3 – 6) who attend a Westminster primary school. The funding will be given directly to schools and has been agreed for an initial period of 18 months to support families struggling with the acute cost of living crisis.

Free school lunches are already provided for children in Reception and Key Stage 1 (up to Year 2) which is funded by the Department for Education. Westminster City Council will now extend this to include children in Key Stage 2 so that every primary school will be able to provide a free, healthy meal to every child each lunchtime.

This is Westminster Council’s latest intervention to help struggling families during this time of high food prices and soaring energy bills. The council recently announced a new package of support totalling more than £10million to support its most vulnerable residents.

The council is also encouraging families eligible for the Free School Meals programme to continue to register to ensure they receive access to supermarket vouchers and food and activities in the school holidays. Westminster recently announced it is extending support to children in receipt of FSM over the Christmas holidays.

Research shows that when children do not have enough to eat, they are less likely to achieve their potential at school. Children who experience food insecurity are also more likely to suffer from stress and anxiety, and child hunger has been linked to depression.

Councillor Adam Hug, Leader of Westminster City Council, said:

“Many working families who don’t qualify for free school meals are facing financial difficulties this winter as the cost of living crisis bites.

“This £2.7million investment will offer direct support to those who need it most and ensure that children don’t go hungry at school.

“Westminster City Council is determined to help our most vulnerable residents as food prices and energy bills soar. The free school lunch offer is in addition to a £10 million package of cost of living support which will create new food banks and help residents pay their energy bills.”

Councillor Tim Roca, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Young People, Learning and Leisure, said:

“We know families are struggling with the cost of living and that children face going hungry at school as a result. It’s vital that children are given a nutritious meal at school to help with their learning and to improve their overall health.

“That’s why we are announcing free lunches for all Westminster children in Years 3 to 6, saving parents up to £550 per child, per year.

“This will mean all Westminster children attending our primary schools will receive a free, healthy lunch - providing direct support to our most vulnerable families and making sure children are able to thrive at school."

Dr Regina Keith, Senior Lecturer in Global Public Health & Nutrition, University of Westminster, said:

“With the present increase in food and heating costs, there are now 3.1 billion families in the world who cannot afford a healthy diet. Research indicates that universal free school meals can lead to increased willingness to learn and increased aspiration for future careers, especially for children from low-income families.

“With challenges facing millions of families, it is a beacon of hope to learn that Westminster City Council has selected to use their limited resources to invest in the future of their children by providing free school lunches for all primary school children.

“If we invest in our children we are investing in our own future, we must strive to ensure all of our children can aspire to a healthy future where they can achieve their potential and their dreams.”

Cory Mclauchlan, Head of School at Robinsfield George Eliot Federation, said:

“Some of our most vulnerable families are really struggling this winter and there’s a real danger that many families could have to choose between heating and eating.

“At George Eliot Primary School we have a strong commitment to providing healthy meals every day and making sure our children are always ready to learn. The free lunch offer from Westminster Council will therefore make a huge difference to families and guarantee that no child is left behind.”

Notes to editors:

• The decision to fund the Universal Free Lunch Offer will be taken formally at a meeting of Cabinet on 12 December 2022.

• The funding will be available to schools from January 2023 to July 2024, with an ambition to continue beyond that.

FAQS:

1. Who is eligible for Westminster’s new free lunch offer?

A: We have taken the decision to ensure that every school age child attending a state-funded primary school within Westminster will be eligible for a free lunch during term time. This means that all children in Key Stage 1 and 2 (for example from Reception to Year 6) will be offered a free meal. This extends the Government’s existing Universal Free School Meal Offer.

2. Why is the council looking to provide free lunches?

A: The cost-of-living crisis has resulted in even more households experiencing financial hardship, unable to meet growing costs. Beyond Key Stage 1 (Year 3, Year 4,Year 5 and Year 6), pupils need to meet restrictive eligibility criteria in order to continue to receive Free School Meals. This low threshold means that many children from working families in poverty are not entitled to Free School Meals. Universal free school lunches could save families up to £550 per year, per child. National research has also demonstrated the benefit of Free School Meals in increasing attendance and attainment, as well as healthy bodyweights.

3. How long will the Free School Lunch Offer run for?

A: This local offer has been introduced in light of the current cost-of-living crisis. Funding is being agreed for the next 18 months (January 2023 to the end of the summer term 2024) but there is an ambition to extend the offer. Schools will start to offer funding to parents either through vouchers to the value of £3 per day, or through a free hot meal to all primary aged pupils from January.

4. What type of meal will be offered?

A: It is our aspiration that every eligible child will receive a healthy hot lunch, in line with the government’s healthy eating standards. However, we know that this will require time for schools to mobilise and may not be possible in every school. Where a hot lunch cannot be offered, food vouchers to the value of £3 per day, will be provided by schools to parents to pay for a packed lunch. Please speak to your child’s school for more information on how they will be implementing the scheme and the available food offer.

5. What if I don’t want my child to access the Free School Lunch Offer?

A: If your child does not need a free lunch offered through this initiative because you have sufficient lunch arrangements in place, please contact your school to let them know that you would like to opt out of the Free Lunch Offer. This will enable the school to make best use of the funds.

6. My child is already receiving a Universal Free School Meal, what does this mean for them?

A: All children in Key Stage 1 (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) already benefit from a national, Government-wide Universal Free School Meal and will continue to benefit from this. A child moving into Year 3 from September 2023 at a Westminster primary school will continue to have access to a free school lunch which will be funded by Westminster City Council.

7. My child is already receiving government funded, means tested, Free School Meals or may be eligible for them, what does this mean for them?

A: If your child is eligible or may be eligible for Free School Meals, you will continue to receive a free meal as normal. If you think that your child is eligible for government funded free school meals, then you must still apply for it. This means that your child will continue to benefit from a free lunch throughout their time in school. It also means that your child can access free activities and food over the school holidays as part of the government’s Holiday Activity and Food programme (HAF) and food vouchers during the holidays at a value of £3.50 per day, funded via the Government’s Household Support Fund.

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