Primary school children in red jumpers wait in line for their school dinner.

Children's health and food

“A policy that does what it’s meant to do”

19 November 2024

Evaluating the Mayor of London’s universal primary free school meals policy.

Co-Head, Children's Health and Food Programme

When the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced in February 2023 that he was rolling out free school meals for every primary school pupil in London for the academic year 2023/24 it was a cause for celebration among our team and our partners in the sector.

Not only was this the kind of progressive investment in children’s health we had been working towards with coalition and campaigning work such as the School Food Review Group and Feed the Future, it was also a key opportunity to continue to build the evidence base around universal provision of free school meals.

“For us, free school meals have made us happier. We are less stressed, the kids are fuller and better fed. Here’s an example of a policy that does what it’s meant to do. My children are trying new foods which I don’t get to make at home. One of my children has autism and can be really fussy, so this has helped. The mental stress has gone down; I have more time in the mornings as I don’t have to prepare all these lunches.” – Josephine

We commissioned two independent evaluations to ensure learnings were documented and shared across the sector, with schools and boroughs, and with the national policymakers we hope will be inspired to take action as a result. One evaluation focused on the implementation of the policy and the other on the lived experience of children, families and schools.

Amplifying the voice of those reached by the policy was a priority for us, as these perspectives are essential to feed into future policy and practice. We also wanted to build greater understanding of the policy’s potential for furthering equitable outcomes for all children, especially the most marginalised, who experience intersecting disadvantage.

The findings, and our recommendations to national policymakers are now available on our More than a meal page. Top of the list is the urgent expansion of free school meals to all children from families in receipt of Universal Credit, with a view to universal expansion. This reflects the strong findings that the greatest benefits of the policy were felt by those children and families living on low incomes who are struggling financially.

Parents surveyed who were receiving Universal Credit were more likely to say the policy was ‘significantly helping’ household finances (52% compared to 31% not receiving Universal Credit).

We know that a healthy meal at school each day gives every child an equal opportunity to learn and thrive. What was striking about the evaluation research was the wealth of evidence showing just how much, and in how many ways, this policy has impacted the lives of those we were privileged to speak with.

Josephine and Aisha are both parents of children who received free school meals as part of the policy, who share their experiences in our report.

“It’s been a weight off my shoulders knowing my child will now eat something every day. I still receive unexpected bills sometimes but not having to pay for [school lunches], takes the pressure off…” – Josephine

Josephine is a working mum of five who lives with her partner. Their joint income puts them slightly above the national threshold for free school meals so none of her children qualify.

Aisha lives in Hillingdon with her partner and two children. Her partner works full-time, and she is in part-time work. They were not previously entitled to free school meals.

Josephine and Aisha’s experiences draw out the immediate and broader effects of the policy, which are captured as key findings within the main report; improved family finances, positive effects on health and wellbeing and strengthened school communities.

Working mum of five, Josephine, lives with her partner. Their joint income puts them slightly above the national threshold for free school meals so none of her children qualify. Finances are often stretched, and Josephine has found it difficult to buy enough food for her family. At times she has made the decision to keep her children at home rather than sending them to school and face the shame of not being able to provide adequate, filling packed lunches.

The introduction of UPFSM means her three primary-aged children now have school lunches. This has significantly helped Josephine’s household budget. The policy has given her a sense of relief knowing she can send her children to school and they will be fed properly. She no longer faces difficult conversations with school staff about attendance or what’s in their lunchboxes.

“I haven’t sent my children to school several times because I couldn’t fulfil the packed lunch requirements or pay for the school lunches…I’m working, I’m struggling, I’m proud. I don’t want people to judge me or my child’s lunchbox. It’s been a weight off my shoulders knowing my child will now eat something every day. I still receive unexpected bills sometimes but not having to pay for [school lunches], takes the pressure off…”

“It was more shameful having the school chasing me to ask why I haven’t provided a packed lunch that day than when they challenge me about keeping my child at home because I couldn’t provide a meal. I’m thankful not to have those calls anymore. As a working parent, I wasn’t previously entitled for free school meals. It takes the financial stress away from me having to prepare all the children’s lunches.”

Josephine has spent the money she has saved on school lunches on essentials for her children, including clothing and food. UPFSM means that she is no longer torn, having to make difficult decisions about whether to buy uniform or food. The policy has given Josephine breathing space. She can spend more money on things for her children and it has also eased the burden of childcare costs for her youngest child.

“I have been able to purchase new shoes for my child when previously, I would wait and leave them until the end of term before replacing them.

“I have more money for my elder child’s lunches who has to pay for them. I no longer have to debate in my head about whether to buy a new school shirt or shoes or provide packed lunches/pay for school meals.

“We want to spend money on our children so they can eat, play and participate in activities with their friends. We are grateful for the policy. Most of the money saved now goes towards my youngest child’s nursery food who has just started. If the policy was to stop, I’m not sure how I would manage this – I don’t want to think about that.”

As well as helping Josephine’s family with the cost of essentials, free school meals have had a wider impact on her own and her family’s wellbeing, as it has encouraged her children to try new food and reduced their household stress.

“For us, free school meals have made us happier. We are less stressed, the kids are fuller and better fed. Here’s an example of a policy that does what it’s meant to do. My children are trying new foods which I don’t get to make at home. One of my children has autism and can be really fussy, so this has helped. The mental stress has gone down; I have more time in the mornings as I don’t have to prepare all these lunches. I can get the younger ones out the door much quicker. There are certainly less arguments.”

Josephine feels that the policy has allowed them to feel more included which has made all the difference.

“All children now get to sit together – there is no separation between packed lunches and school meals.”

While Josephine and Aisha reported overwhelmingly positive effects, and take-up of the policy was generally high, this wasn’t everyone’s experience.

Some children and families with additional dietary and nutrition needs, such as those with medical, cultural and religious food requirements, haven’t been able to make the most of the policy, while others have missed out altogether. Those missing out are often more marginalised and surviving on low incomes – so any barriers to their taking up the offer related to their protected characteristics risks baking in existing inequities.

These challenges are not new for schools, but it’s an important finding from the research that shines a light on the additional policy mechanisms required to ensure the school food system is meeting the needs of all children, beyond providing access to meals.

We know schools and academy trusts worked hard to deliver at pace during the first year and the GLA proactively considered and tried to mitigate inequities through their Equality Impact Assessment and additional funding provided.

In January 2024, Sadiq Khan announced the extension of the policy into a second year and in April it was again extended for the remainder of his mayoral term. In addition, a higher rate of £3.00 per meal (up from £2.65 for the first year of the policy) was set. So, there is scope for the delivery of the policy to be improved further and refined so it reaches all families.

When the Mayor first announced that every primary school child in London would receive a hot, tasty meal at school, it was intended as a cost of living measure, to relieve the pressure on household finances at a time of economic strain. But the ripple effects across homes, families and school communities show it’s moved beyond an economic intervention. It’s a policy that does what it’s meant to do – and more.

All children deserve the opportunity to eat well and be healthy. If every child can benefit from nutritious, culturally appropriate food at school, this policy can go a long way to achieve that vision.