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Wednesday, 3 October 2023

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Parents

Nutrition and school lunches

In England your child could qualify for free meals or milk, or be given free fruit and vegetables at school. Local authorities must provide free lunches for eligible pupils, paid-for meals where requested and good facilities and supervision so pupils can eat safely.

School lunches

All food provided by local authorities in England must meet national nutritional standards. These ensure that children are provided with a healthy, balanced diet. The standards, introduced in September 2006, require the following:

high-quality meat, poultry or oily fish regularly available
at least two portions of fruit and vegetables with every meal
bread, other cereals and potatoes regularly available.

Additionally, there are controls on the following foods:

deep-fried food limited to no more than two portions per week
fizzy drinks, crisps, chocolate and other confectioneries removed from school meals and vending machines.

Find out about school catering near you Opens new window

Find further information about nutritional standards in schools Opens new window

Free school Meals

Parents in England do not have to pay for school meals if they receive any of the following:

Income Support
income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
Working Tax Credit 'run-on' - the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

From 6 April 2012, Working Tax Credit rules for couples have changed and because of the increase in the number of hours a couple has to work in order to qualify, some families may have lost their entitlement to Working Tax Credit. Those families my be entitled to free school meals if they now satisfy any of the above criteria.

Local councils

Education and Library Boards - contact details Opens new window

Income Support (money, tax and benefits section)

Jobseeker's Allowance (money, tax and benefits section)

Tax credits (money, tax and benefits section)

Directories L1

Apply for free school meals

Approach your school first to find out if you need to apply via the school or your local authority.

Apply for free school meals Opens new window

Packed lunches

To help you pack a healthy, balanced lunch for your child, you can find tips and suggestions from NHS Choices, Change4Life and the School Food Trust.

School packed lunches - NHS Choices Opens new window

Lunchbox ideas - Change4Life Opens new window

Packed lunch ideas - School Food Trust Opens new window

Milk

Local authorities and schools can decide whether or not to provide milk. If they do, it must be free to children who are eligible for free shool meals.

All children under five who are in day care for two or more hours a day should be given a free drink of milk. This includes some four-year-olds in reception classes at primary schools. For children under one year old, it is given as infant formula.

Free fruit and vegetables in school

The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme entitles children aged four to six to a free piece of fruit or vegetable every day, if their school has joined the scheme.