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Delivery of open letter to Number 10 calling for free school meals for all primary school pupils in England

30 June 2023

Yesterday, Thursday 29 June, Southwark Council’s deputy Leader Jasmine Ali joined The National Education Union’s No Child Left Behind campaign in delivering its open letter, calling for the extension of Free School Meals to all children in primary schools in England.

The open letter, signed by more than 240 community organisations, faith groups, charities and trade unions, and over 90,000 individuals, was delivered to the Prime Minister on the penultimate day of the Free School Meals for All campaign’s National Week of Action, which has a series of local and national events and activities.

Councillor Jasmine Ali, deputy leader and cabinet member for children, education and refugees, said: “Southwark Council has been providing universal free school meals for all primary school children for longer than a decade. In that time our schools have gone from joint bottom to 97 per cent Ofsted rated good or outstanding. Free, healthy school meals has played an important part of our school improvement success.

“It is fantastic that Sadiq Khan is paying for all primary school meals this year in London. This has helped us to extend free school meals to secondary school children in need – we know how important nutrition is for our children’s lives and futures.

“That’s why we’ve visited Downing Street, to continue to call on the Government to follow our lead and roll out free school meals to all children in the country. No child should go without food and we won’t rest until childhood hunger ends.”

The Free School Meals for All campaign is supported by nearly 90 MPs, Peers, local councils and mayors, who are putting their weight behind the call to ensure no child goes too hungry to learn at school. A full list of supportive organisations can be found here: https://freeschoolmealsforall.org.uk/take-action 

The full text of the letter can be found here. 

The delegation included:

  • Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union 
  • Kate Bell, Assistance General Secretary of the TUC 
  • Lizzy Buchan, Deputy Political Editor of the Mirror 
  • Cllr. Jasmine Ali, Deputy Leader of Southwark Council 
  • Anna Kyrk, Deputy Head Teacher of School 21, an all through (ages 4-18) school in Stratford, London. 
  • Aarjon, Year 6 pupil at School 21 

About the No Child Left Behind campaign 

You can find out more about the No Child Left Behind campaign here, and about Free School Meals for All specifically here. 

Page last updated: 30 June 2023

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