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Councils set to commit to universal free school meals until 2025

1 min read Education Health Public Health
Two councils are set to continue providing free school meals for all primary-age children until 2025 as part of a contract worth as much as £75m.

Islington Council has maintained a universal free school meal policy in its primary schools since 2009, but the current school catering contract is set to expire next year.

Council documents show that, along with Camden Council, it is set to negotiate a new seven-year contract. The combined total cost of the new contract is set to be around £75m.

"The school meals service has been a priority for the council in Islington," a council report states.

"Given our success in increasing take up and the number of schools buying the service, it is imperative that we continue to have a high-quality and well-managed service."

The estimated value of the school catering contract in Islington - which covers a total of 61 establishments - is around £6.3m per year. Around £2.15m of this accounts for the cost of providing free school meals for children currently not eligible.

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