Mayor celebrates 100 million free school meals

A scheme to provide free school meals to all state primary school children in London has given out 100 million lunches, City Hall says.

It was introduced by Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan in 2023 to help families with rising living costs and he has since pledged to fund the scheme throughout his term in office.

Each child has so far been provided with 435 free lunches on average, saving families up to £500 a year per child, the mayor said.

Sir Sadiq said: "These healthy meals are ensuring children don't go hungry at school, making them ready to learn and giving them the energy to make the most of everything the school day offers, while also taking the financial pressure off their families."

On a visit to Shoreditch Park Primary School in Hackney to celebrate the milestone, Sir Sadiq said he was "delighted" the scheme had helped so many families by supporting children's health and easing financial strain.

"I know from personal experience what a difference these meals make, so to be able to ensure that hundreds of thousands of children are receiving them across London every single day brings huge personal pride."

When the £130m a year scheme was launched, City Hall said it was to be temporary, as it was being paid for by "one-off funding from additional business rates income", although the scheme was later extended.

The mayor's funding pays for meals for children in Years 3-6, as pupils in Reception and Years 1 and 2 automatically receive free lunches under a central government scheme.

Earlier this year, the government announced that all children whose parents receive Universal Credit would be entitled to free school meals from September 2026.