Free infant lunches policy doubled take-up of school meals
The introduction of free lunches for all infants has more than doubled the take-up of school meals, new research shows.
However, it also says almost a third of school leaders (31 per cent) said the introduction of universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) had led to fewer parents registering for free school meals, reducing their school’s pupil premium funding, compared to 15 per cent who said it had increased.
The policy was introduced by the coalition government in 2014.
Today’s report is published by the Education Policy Institute (EPI), whose executive chairman David Laws was a schools minister at the time, and one of its authors Peter Sellen, worked on the policy when he worked at the DfE.
However, the EPI said Mr Laws was not involved in the conduct of the research, while Mr Sellens’ DfE role was to produce objective research and advice.
The report says the take-up of school meals increased from 38 per cent in 2013-14 to 80 per cent in 2015-16, and was higher in small schools and rural schools.
It also finds the policy saved parents an average of 50 minutes, and £10, a week.
Read the full article on the Tes.