Soon, infant and primary schools in England will receive a signed letter from the education secretary, Michael Gove, and the schools minister, David Laws. This letter’s purpose is to confirm that from September, the government will fund free school meals for every infant. After visiting over 60 schools whilst writing the School Food Plan, which recommended this policy, one of the authors, alongside John Vincent, is delighted. They have seen the enormous difference free school meals can make. This policy has the potential to improve nutritional intake and academic performance. The last Labour government ran pilot schemes in County Durham and Newham, which demonstrated this policy’s benefits. Children from lower socio-economic backgrounds saw the most significant improvement in their results, thanks to the removal of social stigma and an improvement in the atmosphere.
While most headteachers understand that well-fed, happy children make better pupils, some are nervous about managing the logistics of this new policy. They are already busy preparing for the launch of the new national curriculum in September, and now they also need to transform their food service. There are some logistical problems, such as staff adjusting to preparing meals on a scale they have never experienced before, schools having to extend their lunch hour, and some having to change the way they serve the food.
However, there is no need to worry. This has been done before. Alison Young managed the pilot project for Durham county council, and she and her team had 12 weeks to prepare every school to provide free school meals for all their primary pupils. They managed to deliver on time, and now, with eight months of better planning time, schools should find it even easier.
Some schools may need to improve their kitchen or even build one from scratch. The government has announced a £150m capital fund, and Laws will be writing to local authorities shortly with details of how the money should be allocated. Schools using an external caterer may also find that they are prepared to invest more on top of this. They stand to benefit from the economies of scale. Some schools have asked whether they can offer pupils a sandwich and a yoghurt instead of a hot meal. However, this may not be as popular or as beneficial as providing hot meals for all.
The second most common logistical challenge for schools will be catering to a larger number of students within the existing space. Our visits to multiple schools, both pilot areas and otherwise, have shown that the solution to this problem is staggering lunchtimes. Some schools even have up to four sittings.
Young suggests that being well-prepared and level-headed is the key to overcoming any difficulties. To make the process smoother, she recommends keeping menus simple, planning for an increase in dietary requests, and maintaining clear communication with everyone from cooks and finance officers to students and parents. According to Young, the most crucial factor for the success of this initiative is the headteacher’s enthusiasm, as achieving this entails leadership from the top.
Headteachers need not handle everything on their own as the government is seeking experts to aid schools better. The Children’s Food Trust previously assisted with national pilots. The School Food Plan will help schools by providing a platform where they can go and compare notes on the solutions they have found. A Q&A section addressing headteachers’ queries already exists.
This idea has true cross-party support, making it a true rarity. It was initially introduced by Ed Balls of the Labour Party but was adopted by the Tories. The School Food Plan was backed by Michael Gove and his recommendation for universal free meals. The agreed budget was proposed by the Liberal Democrats.
The extensive support for this proposition has led to discussions about extending it even further. It is believed that this policy has the potential to create a fundamental transformation of primary schools and positively impact the children’s lives. One student from Sheringham primary in Newham stated that since everyone now sits and eats together, there are fewer fights, and everyone gets along well.
