London’s universal primary free school meals offer means that no child needlessly misses out on good nutrition at school. A recent evaluation of this policy found massive benefits for children’s health and learning as well as family finances.
However, outside of London, School Food Matters found schools are dipping into their own budgets, and teachers are personally paying out of pocket to feed hungry children who do not have access to the same policy as their peers in the capital.
At School Food Matters we believe that we can and should do better
Every child deserves the quality nutrition they need to thrive at school. There are extensive benefits to providing quality school meals for all, including improvements to children's education, health, and well-being. A 2022 cost-benefit analysis commissioned by Impact on Urban Health revealed that for every £1 invested in school food for all children, £1.71 would be returned. When wider benefits were considered, the investment would generate £99.5 billion for the economy over 20 years.
Our findings
We surveyed 10,000 teachers across England in 2024 and 2025 using the polling tool Teacher Tapp to understand the extent of child hunger, its impact on children’s learning, and the support measures in place.
In our February 2025 polling, 20% of teachers reported an increase in the number of children too hungry to learn since the start of 2024/25. One in four (25%) teachers said they personally had to purchase food for hungry children during the academic year, or know a colleague who has.
Polling from 2024 found that schools were taking significant steps to reduce the number of children going hungry. We found:
- 38% of senior leaders said their school had been providing free school meals to pupils who are not eligible, with that number rising to half (51%) in the poorest areas.
- A quarter said their school had written off school meal debt during the academic year, and 24% said they had opened a food bank to support struggling families.
- Four in 10 teachers said pupils in their class were regularly too hungry to learn, with the figure jumping to 63% in the most deprived areas.
Stories on the ground
Alongside our research, we heard from headteachers, school staff, and community members who go above and beyond to ensure no child misses out on good nutrition at school.
Phoenix Primary School in Liverpool has been covering the cost of school meals in cases where children arrive with packed lunches lacking in nutritional value. We spoke with the Headteacher about the challenges of providing this support - and looked at how the situation compares with a primary school in London.
At Swaythling Primary School in Southampton, school staff had to launch a low-cost after-school childcare programme to fund the provision of free school meals for all children from families receiving universal credit.
Alder Tree Primary School in Leeds is one of many schools funding its own food bank to support children, staff, and families. The school started the food bank during COVID-19 and decided to continue running it once schools reopened due to the high need in the area.
Schools have also relied on external support from charities like One Can Trust in Buckinghamshire, which has funded school meals for local school children who are ineligible for FSMs.
Stephanie Slater, Founder and Chief Executive at School Food Matters, said:
“It is deeply concerning that teachers are having to buy food out of their own pockets for hungry children, and that cash-strapped schools across England are dipping into their budgets to provide meals. Schools and teachers cannot continue to plug gaps in provision with these drastic measures. The government must expand free school meals so that every child has the good nutrition they need to thrive. We’re calling on the government to step up to provide support for schools, students and families with universal free school meals.”
