Issue - meetings

Report ED14014

The Portfolio Holder introduced a report which provided an update on the Government proposal for free school lunches for every child in Key Stage 1 and the implications of this for the Local Authority and schools.  On 17^th September 2013, the Government announced that every child in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 in state funded school would receive a free school meal from September 2014, for which revenue funding of £2.30 per meal would be provided. 

The Government had confirmed that the legal duty would be on infant and primary schools to deliver free school meals at Key Stage 1, and the Local Authority would work with schools to ensure that they were able to deliver this new requirement.  To support this, the Local Authority had been allocated £386,780 capital funding for 2014/15 for Local Authority Maintained schools and £30,824 for Voluntary Aided schools.  Officers were developing a targeted programme to support the distribution of these funds to Local Authority Maintained schools which would involve a review of existing premises and distribution of funds based on the suitability of premises, targeting insufficiencies in infrastructure and the capacity of school kitchens and serveries.

In considering the report, the Vice-Chairman highlighted the potential for increased take-up of schools meals by older siblings following the rollout of free school meals at Key Stage 1.  A Member also noted the impact of free school meals at Key Stage 1 on small rural schools that did not have sufficient dining capacity.

The take up of Free School Meals was currently used to allocate Pupil Premium funding to schools.  A Member was concerned that the provision of Free School Meals across Key Stage 1 would decrease the number of applications made by parents and carers, which would reduce the amount of Pupil Premium funding received by schools to support the most vulnerable children.

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to:

1)  Note the Universal Free School Capital Allocation of £386,780 for Local Authority Maintained schools in the Borough; and,

2)  Agree the proposal to develop and deliver a targeted programme of capital investment to target insufficiencies in infrastructure and the capacity of school kitchens and serveries of Local Authority Maintained schools in Bromley be agreed.