food poverty | Schools Week

Call for new focus from policymakers after child poverty spike

1 in 10 youngsters too poor to eat, as global reports lay bare concerning child poverty levels

Schools left to pick up the tab for London free meals scheme

Schools in some parts of London will have to meet any funding shortfall for the mayor’s extension of free meals to primary pupils

Caterer Compass repays furlough cash after free school meal parcel row

A multinational catering firm at the centre of the free school meal parcel fiasco has announced plans to repay millions in furlough cash and serve more plant-based meals. Official figures published this month show Compass Services UK claimed between £12.5 million and £25 million between December and February alone to pay staff wages. Data has […]

Holiday hunger providers demand ‘multi-year funding’ as DfE extends scheme

The government must allocate “multi-year funding” for its holiday activities and food programme, previous recipients said after the announcement of a £220 million expansion to the scheme. The extension of HAF to all areas in England and into the Easter and Christmas holidays next year was announced on Sunday, following mounting pressure on ministers to […]

DfE abandons Easter holiday hunger pilot after summer trial

The government will spend another £9 million testing solutions to holiday hunger across England, but has abandoned plans to run a pilot in the Easter and summer holidays next year. According to tender documents seen by Schools Week, the Department for Education is seeking organisations to test the “co-ordination” of free holiday provision, including “healthy […]