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FOI - Free School Meals cost [Sep 2023]

Key information

Request reference number: MGLA070923-5957

Date of response:

Summary of request

Your request

Free school meals:

  1. How much per child?
  2. How much in total?
  3. How many meals?
  4. How much is the cost per year, per child?

Our response

Question 1

Boroughs are receiving £2.65 per meal. For Kosher meals in Jewish state schools this is £3.50 per meal, a top up of 85p, due to additional costs associated with delivering this provision. 

Question 2

The Mayor’s intervention is £135m, including a £5m contingency fund for specific and 
extraordinary costs associated with implementation of the scheme and children’s access to the scheme, associated with the findings of the EqIA commissioned by the GLA.

Funding allocations were based on the number of pupils at KS2 on census day in January 2022 (minus the number who are eligible for the national government FSM offer). The funding allocations have been made with an assumed 90 per cent uptake.

Question 3

This funding will help up to 287,000 primary school children in the capital receive free school meals. 

Question 4

This intervention could save families upwards of £440 across the year per child. This figure was calculated by multiplying the average meal price, times the number of school days in the year.

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting 
reference MGLA070923-5957.

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