As reported by The Guardian, schools may be forced to subsidise school meals from their own budgets following a widely criticised funding increase
Primary schools in England are warning they may be forced to cover the rising costs of free school meals for infants from their own stretched budgets, following what leaders are calling a “pitiful” funding increase from the government.
The Department for Education (DfE) recently announced that funding for universal infant free school meals will rise by just 3p per child, from £2.58 to £2.61, starting in September. The increase – equivalent to £2.70 a day for a typical school with 90 eligible pupils – has been heavily criticised for falling well short of the mounting financial pressures schools face.
Joseph Howes, chair of the End Child Poverty coalition and chief executive of children’s charity Buttle UK, said: “A 3p increase to cover the cost of school meals, which are not even available to all primary-aged children, let alone all poorer children, is just not good enough.”
The DfE’s 1.2% uplift lags behind the 3% annual rise in food prices recorded in March by the Office for National Statistics, and does not account for expected staff pay increases, higher minimum wages, or rising national insurance contributions.
Universal infant free school meals are currently provided to all pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 in state primary schools. With inflationary pressures and wage increases looming, school leaders say the funding gap will likely have to be bridged using core school budgets.
In response, a DfE spokesperson defended the government’s broader support for children and families: “This government is mission-driven to break the unfair link between background and opportunity. We’ve tripled investment in free breakfast clubs to over £30m, with 750 early adopter schools offering free meals and childcare from this month, ensuring children are ready to learn.”
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