It is “astonishing” that the government is not ensuring that free school meals will be provided to disadvantaged pupils during the February half-term, a teaching union leader has said.

The move shows the government has a “total disregard for those hardest hit by the Covid pandemic”, said the joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), Kevin Courtney.

New Guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) has said that schools do not need to provide lunch parcels or vouchers during the February half-term because pupils benefit from the Covid Winter Grant Scheme outside of term time.

The department has said this is the same fund that was used to ensure pupils received food during the Christmas holidays.

It comes after major controversy this week over the quality of “inadequate” food parcels being sent to children on free school meals and after the government performed a U-turn last year to ensure children received extra support for food over the Christmas holidays.

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Mr Courtney said: “It is simply astonishing that the government has, once again, revealed its total disregard for those hardest hit by the ongoing health pandemic.

“After a year in which the stark inequalities faced by millions of children and young people has been at the forefront of the minds of the public, the ugly spectre of holiday hunger is now looming yet again.

“This week, Matt Hancock, Gavin Williamson and Boris Johnson made public statements about how appalled they were by the quality of food parcels shared on Twitter. But that is put in the shade by today’s confirmation that yet more disruption to free schools meals could lie ahead in half-term. These are battles which should not have to be repeatedly fought.”

The DfE guidance says: “Schools do not need to provide lunch parcels or vouchers during the February half-term. There is wider government support in place to support families and children outside of term-time through the Covid Winter Grant Scheme.”

The DfE has also told schools that, during the national lockdown, they should look to cater for free school meals students who are not in school during term time through either:

• Providing lunch parcels through the school catering team or food provider.
• Providing vouchers for a local shop or supermarket.
• Using the DfE’s national voucher scheme, which will reopen on Monday.

At yesterday’s education select committee hearing, Gavin Williamson told MPs that the government’s voucher scheme would be run by Edenred, the firm which ran last year’s scheme.

Mr Courtney added: “No child should wake up feeling anxious about where their next meal is coming from, and even now millions are still waiting for the reinstatement of the national food voucher scheme after weeks of struggling to access food parcels.

“Suggesting that local councils will be able to recreate a brand new system of supplying free school meals for the week of half-term using the Covid Winter Grant Scheme is an unnecessary logistical nightmare, and the confusion and chaos this could cause will put millions of children at risk. The anguish, not to mention hunger, this decision could cause is immeasurable.

“Ministers should hang their heads in shame and, unless they reverse this decision, never again speak of their concern for disadvantaged children.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “As was the case over Christmas, vulnerable families will continue to receive meals and other essentials over February half term via councils through the £170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme launched last year.

“Our guidance is clear: schools provide free school meals for eligible pupils during term time. Beyond that, there is wider government support in place to support families and children via the billions of pounds in welfare support we’ve made available.”

Last year, councils across England were given an extra £170 million as part of a wider Covid winter funding scheme, after a free school meals campaign by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford.

The majority of the £170 million awarded to councils - 80 per cent - was earmarked to support families with food and bills.