50,000 signatures reached
To: Prime Minister Rishi Sunak
Commit to extending Free School Meals to every child in primary school
Child hunger is an epidemic in our schools.
Last year, 2.6 million children experienced food insecurity - not having access to nutritious and balanced meals, or even having to skip meals entirely.
We, the public, are joining The Mirror, the National Education Union's Free School Meals for All campaign and 38 Degrees in urging the Prime Minister to extend Free School Meals to every primary school child in England.
Why is this important?
We are living through the greatest cost of living crisis in a generation, and too many families with young children are being pulled into poverty.
Free school meals for every child will put money back in parents’ pockets. That’s money they can use to pay for other essentials for their children, from heating and food at home to hobbies and after-school clubs.
Teachers and support staff see the difference a healthy school dinner makes. When children are hungry, they can’t learn. It’s hard for them to concentrate and harder for them to reach their potential. Free School Meals for all would mean every child can learn and succeed.
For the first three years of school, every child in England gets a hot dinner – and no child under seven wants for food while they're at school.
But from Year 3 on, millions of children as young as 7 miss out on a healthy meal at school.
In 2020, Scotland pledged to extend Free School Meals for every child in primary education. This year, Wales said they’ll do the same. It is time for England to catch up.
Providing a Free School Meal for every child in primary school will ensure all children can flourish and no child is left behind.
