September marks a year since the introduction of free school meals for all primary-age students in London.
Initially introduced as a short-term measure to dampen the impact of rising living costs for the capital’s families, extending the £130mn policy for his entire tenure was a key pledge in Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s successful re-election campaign in May. 
In the scheme’s first year, more than 43 million meals were provided to around 280,000 pupils in more than 2,000 state-funded primary schools across London’s 32 boroughs.
London is the only area of England to implement such a policy – elsewhere it is only available to households with an annual income below £7,400 – but there are similar schemes in Scotland and Wales.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
