100 million free school meals delivered to London’s state primary school children thanks to funding from the Mayor

• London celebrates 100 million free school meals for the capital’s state primary school children
• This comes as a result of Sadiq’s pioneering universal free school meals policy since 2023
• Children have been offered 435 free healthy lunches in just over two years, with families potentially saving £500 a year per child since the Mayor stepped in with the unprecedented funding
• New analysis shows that schools are also now benefiting from more than £11.5 million of additional funding from Government each year to support the education of disadvantaged pupils, thanks to the Mayor’s policy

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has today joined schoolchildren in east London to celebrate the historic milestone of 100 million free school meals being served to the capital’s state primary school children, thanks to funding by City Hall.

 

All state primary school children in London have been offered free school meals since September 2023 after the Mayor stepped in with unprecedented funding to support the capital’s families.

 

The Mayor’s funding has ensured that hundreds of thousands children receive a free healthy meal at school every single day – saving families around £1,500 over three years per child, as well as improving the health and wellbeing of children and positively impacting school communities.

 

A total of 100 million meals have been provided in just over two school years, with each child being offered 435 free lunches in this time.

 

The Mayor’s intervention has ensured that every child in the capital’s state primary schools is offered a free healthy meal each day. This has been shown to improve the lives of children and their families, not only by alleviating financial pressures on households, but also by positively influencing the health and wellbeing of children and strengthening school communities.¹

 

In addition, new analysis published today shows that schools are benefiting from more than £11.5 million of additional funding from Government each year to support the education of disadvantaged pupils. ²

 

Previously schools have missed out on the Government’s pupil premium funding, which is based on free school meals eligibility, as not all eligible families were identified and supported to fill in the necessary forms.

 

Through the Mayor’s free school meals and income maximisation programmes, City Hall has helped boroughs simplify the process and councils are now required to have a system in place to ensure all eligible pupils are registered, securing many millions more funding across the capital.

 

Sadiq has made clear that funding for his historic free school meals programme will remain in place while he is Mayor and has welcomed the Government’s move to increase the nationwide entitlement to free school meals to all pupils whose household is on Universal Credit from the start of the next school year.

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that 100 million meals have now been provided to children across London’s state primary schools. I know from personal experience what a difference these meals make, so to be able to ensure that hundreds of thousands of children are receiving them across London every single day brings huge personal pride. These healthy meals are ensuring children don’t go hungry at school, making them ready to learn and giving them the energy to make the most of everything the school day offers, while also taking the financial pressure off their families. That’s why I’ll continue to fund this unprecedented programme for as long as I am Mayor and support our next generation, as we build a fairer and better London for everyone.”

 

Chef and Campaigner Jamie Oliver said: “Kids in London are properly fuelled to learn, thanks to the Mayor. Serving 100 million free school meals is an amazing achievement. For families feeling the squeeze, easing financial pressure is priceless but free school meals deliver even more than that. When we feed kids well, the benefits are profound – better attendance, better grades, better jobs and over 20 years that stacks up to an extra £40 billion back into the economy.”

 

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “Today marks a historic milestone for the children of London. The provision of 100 million free school meals has lifted hundreds of thousands of families up, relieving the pressure on busy parents and carers and ensuring their children have the healthy, nutritious lunch they need to thrive in school. The many benefits of this scheme shows what can be achieved when the health and wellbeing of children is prioritised, and will help London’s primary school children grow up into adults able to achieve their full potential. The Prime Minister’s recent expansion of FSM to all children growing up in families on Universal Credit is an excellent step forward and will mean over 500,000 children across the country will have the hot school lunch they need to learn – but we know this means too many are still missing out. Westminster can learn a lot from London’s universal FSM provision.”

 

Nikita Sinclair, Head of Children's Health and Food programme at Impact on Urban Health said: "It's fantastic to celebrate this milestone and the combined efforts of City Hall, local councils, schools and caterers that have gone into delivering it. Healthy, free meals at school give every child an opportunity to learn and thrive at school. The London Mayor's policy ensures that many who would otherwise miss out are being supported, and our evaluation of the policy showed how those most in need were benefiting the most. All children across the country deserve the same opportunity – we urge the government to take note of this success and act to unlock the potential of free school meals for everyone."

 

Karan Gokani, author, restaurateur and founder of Hoppers Restaurants, said: “Reaching 100 million free school meals is an extraordinary moment for London. For years Hoppers and I have worked on child nutrition and early education projects in Sri Lanka, supporting thousands of families and building pre-schools, so I know first-hand how meaningful consistent access to good nutrition can be for a child. I’m very proud to support the Mayor's initiative here and look forward to contributing to its impact in the years ahead.”

 

Penny Smith, headteacher at Shoreditch Park Primary School said: “Universal Free School Meals make a significant difference in ensuring every child at Shoreditch Park can access a healthy, hot lunch each day. As a Healthy Schools Gold school, this supports our commitment to nutrition, learning, wellbeing and belonging, as well as reflecting our inclusive Aspire values. Our pupils help shape the menu through pupil voice groups, and our Green Team leads sustainability initiatives such as Meat-Free Mondays, daily composting and using ingredients from our school garden.”

 

Mayor of Hackney, Caroline Woodley, and Deputy Mayor Anntoinette Bramble, said: “The Mayor of London’s free school meals programme has provided a vital lifeline for many families in need. Providing Hackney’s children with affordable, healthy and sustainable meals has long been a non-negotiable priority for Hackney Council. Our tackling food poverty in education programme has delivered impactful change, from establishing new community kitchens and pantries to directly supporting some of our most vulnerable families. We have proven that collaboration works. Together with our schools and the Mayor of London, we will continue to lead the way, advocating for more to be done to ensure that every child in Hackney has their basic needs met, starting with good, healthy food.”