The funding rate for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) will rise by just under 3 per cent next year - under half the current rate of inflation.
The Department for Education has said that £18 million of extra funding will help schools to provide meals for the 1.25 million children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, who all receive the food for free.
It said schools would receive the uplifted funding backdated to 1 April 2022, and it would raise the rate per meal to £2.41 from £2.34 - a rise of 7p.
In April, the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) of inflation - which measures the increase in the cost of goods over the previous year - stood at 7.8 per cent.
The DfE said the increase in funding was in recognition of the rising cost of living.
Announcing the changes, education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “We are increasing our funding for universal infant free school meals because we know that more can be done in the face of rising costs.”
Free school meals funding rise ‘simply not enough’
James Bowen, director of policy at the NAHT school leaders’ union, welcomed the increase but said it was not enough to address the cost-of-living crisis.
“School leaders are seeing first-hand the impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on pupils and families. Our members are reporting that they are seeing more and more families struggle to afford the basics, including food. Schools are also having to deal with the impact of rising costs themselves, with rising energy costs and inflation putting a real pressure on school budgets,” he said.
“It has been clear for some time that the funding for universal infant free school meals is inadequate and we know that schools and caterers have been finding it increasingly difficult to provide healthy, balanced meals with the £2.34 they receive from the government for each meal they provide.”
The extra 7p per day is “simply not enough to cover the increased costs schools are facing”, he said
Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teaching union, said the move did “not go nearly far enough to meet the significant and rapidly growing number of children and young people of all ages who are in need of help to ensure they do not go hungry”.
“Without increased investment in expanding free school meal eligibility and action to tackle the cost-of-living crisis from this government, many more pupils risk having their health and welfare damaged,” he added.
School leaders have told Tes that their catering costs have been rising above the rate of inflation in the past few months.
Speaking in April, Pepe Di’Iasio, headteacher at Wales High School in Rotherham, said that catering costs at his school had risen by around 10 per cent in the previous months, and could well rise higher.
“We’re having to look very carefully at the menu that we offer. Our chef and accounts manager are looking very closely to make sure that we can provide good value for money, as much as we can for students. This is at a time when good free school meals are absolutely vital for our students,” he added.
And last month, Andrew Selley, chief executive of Bidfood - one of the UK’s biggest food wholesalers - warned that school caterers may have to serve smaller portions, or use cheaper ingredients, in order to counter ratcheting costs.
