90% of Southwark pupils are tucking into healthy school meals
The vast majority of reception and year one pupils in Southwark are benefiting from the council's free health healthy school meals programme, it has been revealed this week.
A total of 90% of pupils are tucking into healthy lunches following the scheme's roll out in September.
Catherine McDonald, cabinet member for children's services said: "I'm delighted to know that our primary schools are embracing the free healthy school meals scheme and I look forward to the time when all the year groups receive this benefit.
"Southwark is making every effort to tackle childhood obesity and offering a healthy and nutritious lunchtime meal is an important step in promoting good health."
Commenting on the scheme, one parent said: "When my wife and I were both working it was not such a problem to find the money for school meals but I lost my job six months ago and was not entitled to benefit so this has been a godsend for us."
Another parent said: "I was paying £16 per week for school dinners for my children so this is a big saving for me."