New MiSoC research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, has revealed universal free school meals in primary schools resulted in reduced childhood obesity and an improvement in Reading scores.
The study, by Dr Angus Holford and Professor Birgitta Rabe, looked at the health and educational outcomes of children in the four London boroughs that introduced the scheme, Newham, Islington, Tower Hamlets and Southwark. The policy was extended to cover all London boroughs by London Mayor Sadiq Khan in 2023 and similar roll out of universal free school meals in all primary schools in Wales and Scotland is taking place in 2024.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, told The Observer “As this study shows, providing all children with the offer of a nutritious meal during the school day helps to improve health and enable pupils to focus on their schoolwork, rather than worry about being hungry.”
Andy Gold, Head of Food Strategy, London Borough of Newham, said:
“Our universal primary school meals scheme in Newham, Eat For Free, is 15 years old this year. We have invested in this work because of the impacts on student performance, attainment and health alongside work to deliver community wealth through a school meals as an industry focused on quality meals and fair pay and conditions.
“Congratulations to the team at the University of Essex’s Institute for Social and Economic Research for research that has clearly addressed in its enquiry the breadth of potential that universal meals have the power to unlock.
“The challenge for all advocates of a universal approach is that whilst the costs of such schemes are simple, the virtuous cycle of benefits we have seen our programmes unlock leaves a data trail of wide scope and great complexity.
“This study represents an important contribution to evidence base examining why nutritious school meals for all students should be a universal and well integrated part of the school day everywhere in the UK.”
Stephen Timms, MP for Newham said:
“Primary school children in my constituency have benefitted from free school meals for over ten years. The policy has been hugely popular among parents and the research now shows that it is making a difference to children’s health and learning outcomes.
“Primary school children in my constituency have benefitted from free school meals for over ten years. The policy has been hugely popular among parents and the research now shows that it is making a difference to children’s health and learning outcomes.”
Read coverage of this research in the Observer
Read our new Report The impacts of Universal Free School Meal schemes in England
Read our Explainer Universal Free School Meals reduce child obesity and improve children’s Reading scores