Free lunches in nurseries and secondary schools in Westminster will continue to be served on a “permanent basis”, the borough has announced.
Labour-run Westminster City Council confirmed this week that it will be extending its programme of free school meals for pupils between the ages of 3-14 into the coming academic year and beyond.
The commitment has been made possible, the council said, thanks to London mayor Sadiq Khan pledging in his re-election manifesto this year to make his own programme of free school meals permanent.
Mr Khan’s re-election means that the earliest his scheme could possibly be removed would be upon the election of a future mayor, which is not expected any sooner than May 2028.
The London-wide programme provides lunches on a universal basis for all state primary school children in the capital. Some boroughs, like Westminster, were already providing those meals when Mr Khan launched the policy, initially on a year-long basis, in 2023 - but all councils have received funding regardless, enabling some to extend their offer to younger and older children.
In Westminster, meals are provided on a universal basis to nursery children and students up to and including Year 9 at secondary schools in the borough.
In Tower Hamlets, run by mayor Lutfur Rahman and his left-wing Aspire party, the council has gone further, by offering free meals to all secondary school students through to Year 11. The east London council said these additional lunches have also become an “ongoing” commitment, as they have been built into the authority’s base budget.
Labour-run Southwark meanwhile provides free lunches to all secondary school students whose families receive universal credit, but who would ordinarily miss out because they earn above £7,400 per year as a household.
Westminster council leader Adam Hug said the extra free school meals in his borough “have offered a lifeline to struggling families during a time of soaring food and energy prices”.
He added: “We want children in Westminster to have the best start in life. Extending our free school lunch offer is an important step in supporting families and ensuring children can focus on their learning.
“We’ve heard heartbreaking stories of children being sent to school with just a couple of biscuits in their lunchbox. Research shows that a nutritious lunch has enormous benefits for a child’s concentration in the classroom and maximising their learning potential.
“The council has also announced a further £1.9million for our Household Support Fund, which goes towards helping some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. That brings our total Cost of Living support package to more than £23million.”
