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Southwark Council already provides healthy free school meals to all children in primary schools and has done so for ten years. They were only one of only four London boroughs to offer this prior to The Mayor of London’s funding package to fund free school meals for all primary school children in London.

Councillor Kieron Williams, leader of Southwark Council, said: “As one of the first councils to guarantee a hot, nutritious meal at lunchtime for all primary school children, we know how life-changing they are. The money saved from the Mayor’s new proposal is approximately £3.2m.

“It is too early to say whether this will be enough to fund all secondary schoolchildren in families whose parents receive Universal Credit but miss out on free school meals because they earn above the threshold, but the intention is to do so and make sure that secondary school pupils do not go hungry.”

In Southwark around 17% of children aged under 16 live in relative low-income families. The new pilot programme in secondary schools will provide vital help to thousands of families who are struggling with the cost of living.

The pilot programme in secondary schools will run during the 2023/24 academic year, alongside the Mayor of London’s programme in primary schools.

Brad Pearce, chair of LACA, added: “We are delighted that Southwark Council has announced their intention to provide free school meals to all secondary school pupils whose parents are on Universal Credit.

“Too many children, not only in London, but across the country are falling through the cracks – they cannot afford a school lunch, but they are not entitled to a free school meal. This decision goes a long way in correcting this. We hope that this initiative is rolled out nationwide and extended beyond a year.”