• Latest News
  • Restaurant News
  • Hotel News
  • Catering News
  • Chef News
  • Pub & Bar News
  • Supplier News

Hospitality & Catering News

hospitality and catering news

Call on Government for comprehensive review of School Meal Policy

January 14, 2021

Call on Government for comprehensive review of School Meal Policy

In light of recent developments on current food provision for Free School Meal pupils during Covid-19 school closure, the Food Foundation are calling on the Government to conduct an urgent comprehensive review into Free School Meal policy across the UK to feed into the next Spending Review.

The review should be debated in Parliament and published before the summer holidays.

It needs to:

  1. Review the current eligibility thresholds for Free School Meals across all four nations to eliminate disparities and to explore whether disadvantaged children are being excluded in line with National Food Strategy recommendation. The ongoing eligibility for children with No Recourse to Public Funds should be considered explicitly.
  2. Urgently consider how funding for Free School Meals can deliver the biggest nutritional and educational impact, supporting children’s learning and well-being throughout the school day and during the school holidays (including breakfast provision and the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme). This should include whether the current allowance for Free School Meals is adequate and whether funding for national breakfasts adequately covers all who would benefit from access to provision.
  3. Explore how schools can be supported to deliver the best quality school meals which adhere to school food standards and which ensure the poorest children receive the best possible offer, including by introducing mandatory monitoring and evaluation on an ongoing basis of Free School Meal take-up, the quality/nutritional adequacy of meals, and how the financial transparency of the current system can be improved.
  4. Consider what we have learned from Covid-19 and its impact on children in low-income families and the implications of this for school food policy for the next 5 years, as the country recovers.
  5. Consider how existing school food programmes (such as Free School Meals, holiday and breakfast provision) can eliminate experiences of stigma for the poorest students. Review the impact that Universal Infant Free School Meals has had on stigma, health and education.
  6. Consider the role of family income (wages and benefits) in enabling families to afford quality food in and outside of school time and during the holidays with choice and dignity.

The process should involve input from all the devolved nations and done in consultation with children and young people, as well as teachers, charities, NGOs, frontline catering staff and school meals service providers. It should draw on evidence of food insecurity and health inequalities.

#EndChildFoodPoverty

https://endchildfoodpoverty.org/

https://foodfoundation.org.uk/

Children’s Minister calls on Chartwells/Compass Group CEO to explain food parcels debacle

News from the hospitality and catering industry is also being featured extensively in our Facebook and twitter social media accounts with the opportunity to engage with others in hospitality and share your views.

Hospitality & Catering News:  Government School Meal Policy – Call on Government for comprehensive review of School Meal Policy – 14 January 2021 – Call on Government for comprehensive review of School Meal Policy – Government School Meal Policy

Copyright: All content in Hospitality & Catering News is protected by copyright.

Email Newsletter

Subscribe to our email newsletter and keep a close eye on the UK hospitality and catering business

H&C Email Newsletter

Keep a close eye on hospitality and catering

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Search for hospitality and catering business news

The Clink’s new security guard

Safe Hospitality From Meiko UK

Supplier News

Love Drinks secures deal for El Recuerdo and ZIGNUM® Mezcal Brands

A to-do list when the kitchen is closed

Adam Handling Restaurant Group installs UV protection for safe reopening

Hospitality logistics firm enables Covid-19 Educational Support Programme

Five minutes with… SIMPLY SIG

Plant-based food to increase profits for caterers in 2021

Sustainable disposal of surplus hospitality assets

Meiko’s new Connect APP

Christie’s London finest and rarest wines and spirits auction results

Hospitality supply chains hoping for eleventh hour Brexit deal

Tweets by HandCNews

Contact H&C News

Contact H&C News

Advertising with H&C News

Advertising with H&C News

News Categories

  • Latest News
  • Restaurant News
  • Hotel News
  • Catering News
  • Chef News
  • Pub & Bar News
  • Supplier News
Home | Privacy | Sitemap

Copyright © · Hospitality & Catering News