In 2020, Scotland pledged to extend free school meals for every child in primary education. In 2021, Wales said they’ll do the same. Yet, this is still not the case for England.
In London, the Mayor committed to free school meals for all primary children, but this the policy was only for a year and has now ended.
Nevertheless, the cost-of-living crisis continues - food inflation alone has increased by 19 percent over the year!
Families are under immense financial pressure. One report outlined that over half of parents have said they’ve needed to cut back on food spending for their family within the last year, leading to over 4 million children experiencing food insecurity where they’ve not had access to nutritious and balanced meals, or even having to skip meals entirely.
Analysis by Child Poverty Action Group shows that children in poverty in England continue to be overlooked by Government measures, with over 1 in 3 (800,000) children in poverty not qualifying for free school meals.
There are 1,300,000 children under five living in poverty. This shocking statistic has increased more rapidly for children in this age group than any other age group.
All English children should have access to healthy food and this access should not depend on postcode or a parent’s pay packet.
Early years is considered a critical window in every child’s development providing foundations for lifelong health, wellbeing and overall development, setting children up for successful futures. Without these foundations children can be at a disadvantage before reaching compulsory education age. So receiving good nutrition in the early years is vital.
According to UNICEF, children’s diets before the age of two are more important for development than at any other time in life. However, children’s early diets often lack diversity, are low in energy and the nutrients needed for healthy holistic development.
This has not gone without an impact in the classroom too. While the Government has extended eligibility for free school meals so children in England are guaranteed a free school meal in Reception, Year 1 and Year (Universal Infant Free School Meals – UIFSM) this is not enough. Older children still need to meet criteria which is too restrictive leaving many who are not entitled to free school meals in poverty.
The impact of this on education is critical. There’s an abundance of research out there that highlights the correlation between nutrition and cognitive ability.
Children who eat a varied nutritious diet benefit from improved mood, concentration and improved cognitive load.
Teachers are stocking their own classroom cupboards with food and handing this out to children coming in without breakfast or snacks throughout the day.
Teachers and lunchtime staff are noticing the decline in nutritious lunches provided for children.
Schools continue to be under immense pressure to perform well in terms of pupil attainment, but how can we expect children to reach their full potential if they are hungry?
Free school meals support providing children of the future with the best opportunity to reach their potential.
From a public health perspective, free school meals for all is a positive step in addressing food insecurity among children.
Ensuring that all children have access to nutritious meals can contribute to better overall health and well-being. Public health and nutrition policies are complex, but prioritising the health and wellbeing of our children through provision of free school meals at a time when many children are going to bed hungry is an important step that must be taken in order to mitigate against health inequalities face by those with less resources.
Free school meals for all is also a means of promoting social equality. This approach helps eliminate stigma associated with means-tested programs and ensures that all children, regardless of their family's financial situation, have access to the same quality of meals.
We hope that our Government and policymakers are able to see our children are worth investing in! It’s time for England to catch up!