Children write to prime minister as headteacher, MP and Sunderland councillors back free school meals campaign

The initiative is being spearheaded by the National Education Union (NEU) as part of its No Child Left Behind campaign, and today the campaign minibus arrived in Sunderland.

Also onboard was Lambton’s chair of governors and city councillor, Linda Williams, Southwick Councillor Michael Butler, and NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede.

A free hot school meal is currently provided for all primary school children in Year R, Year 1 and Year 2.

The campaign now wants to see this rolled out across Key Stage 2 from Year 3 until pupils head off to secondary school at the end of Year 6. 

Ms Defty said: “Free school meals for all would mean that we could ensure that every child in school would have a well-balanced, hot, nutritious  meal at least once a day. 

“This supports children in their learning, ensuring consistency across the school. 

“Children enjoy a hot meal at school and the social time which comes with sitting down and eating a meal with their friends. 

“This also supports families in their endeavour to provide a well-balanced diet for their children.”

The campaign vehicle arrived in Sunderland as part of a national tour which is also visiting schools in London, Coventry and Liverpool before arriving at the Government’s Labour Party conference on Tuesday September 24.

NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede said: “One in five schools in England now report running foodbanks. Our school communities are doing all they can but a crisis of this scale requires government intervention. 

“We’re asking this parliament to commit to ending child hunger in our schools so every child can learn and thrive.

“The policy of free school meals for all primary school children has already been introduced in Wales and London.

“It’s not fair that children in the Prime Minister’s constituency of Holborn and St Pancras are getting free school meals whilst children in Sunderland and other areas of the country are not.”

The NEU chose to stop in the region as the North East has one of the country’s highest proportions of children living in poverty.

Analysis carried out by Loughborough University for the End Child Poverty coalition revealed “at least one in four children are growing up in poverty in 89% of the North East region’s 2024 General Election constituencies”. 

This compares with 66% of all constituencies across the UK.

The North East Child Poverty Commission (NECPC) said that the region has experienced the “steepest increase in child poverty over the last decade”.

A long time campaigner for free school meals for all primary school children is Washington and Gateshead South MP Sharon Hodgson who was also at Lambton Primary School as part of the campaign.

Mrs Hodgson said: “When I was a new MP, I was invited to visit Sweden to experience the impact that universal school food makes for children and families’ lives. 

“I saw hot, healthy and colourful dinner plates. happy and energised children, and parents and carers feeling supported.

“I want nothing less for the children and families in England. It’s very important that the prime minister listens to this message. Primary school children in London get free, hot and healthy meals everyday and so the prime minister can see the benefit of all children getting a free school meal.

“I’ve lobbied the prime minister many times on this and so he knows my views that this is something we really do have to look at when funding allows.

“If we feed these children now then not only does it help them learn better and reach their full potential but it also makes children healthier and gives them a better understanding of food.

“The obesity crisis is costing this nation billions so this is one way we can tackle that by ensuring children start to eat a healthy diet at a young age.”

After Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) the only children who are eligible for free school meals are those whose parents are on unemployment benefits or low income jobs in which they are eligible to claim working tax credit.

With the chancellor Rachel Reeves citing a “£22bn hole” in the country’s finances, which has led to the recent decision to abolish the winter fuel payments for the nation’s pensioners, except those on pension credit, it could be argued that those parents who can afford to pay for their children’s meals should do so.

However Ms Hodgson disputes this and is particularly concerned for those families who may be just above the current free school meals threshold.

She said: “There are a huge number of parents who just miss out. Once you move into work, if that is just above the eligibility threshold then you will probably lose more than you are gaining from working.

“It costs between £500 and £600 per year to cover the cost of school meals and if you have two or three children who you now need to buy school dinners for then this is a lot of money.

“I would also point to organisations such as the NHS. Anyone who has a decent salary who is in a hospital bed still gets all their meals free.

“So many countries around the world that are much poorer than us provide a daily hot meal in schools.

“If countries like Sweden, India, Kenya, and closer to home, Wales, can get this done, then it’s past time we deliver the same for primary school children in England.

“If we can’t afford to feed our hungry children then there is something very wrong as hungry kids can’t learn.”

As part of the visit to Lambton Primary School, the children wrote postcards to the prime minister, with a photograph of themselves on the front, explaining why they felt it was important that all children get the chance to enjoy a free hot school meal.

Year 6 pupil Alex Fynn said: “Packed lunches are generally not as healthy as school dinners. You might get an initial sugar rush but then you lose energy and aren’t able to concentrate on your work.

“Not everyone can afford school lunches and so I think all children should get one for free.”

Classmate Laura Pryce added: “When I get hungry I lose concentration. The dinners here are really nice and everyone should be able to get one for free.”

All the postcards are being posted to 10 Downing Street.