Yet 4-7 year olds across the country are looking forward to just that as they get ready to return to school.
Free school meals were one of the recommendations made by the school food plan in July 2013. The thinking behind free school meals is rather well explained here but the key point is that evaluation of the Universal Free School Meals Pilot found considerable benefits, including significant academic improvement.
Birminghams school meals service reports serving over 75,000 meals a day. However the City Council website currently (30 Aug 14) makes no mention of universal free school meals for 4-7 year olds.
I hope they are ready for the increased demand . . . In May, the Birmingham Mail reported that “more than 40 per cent of city council-controlled infant and primary schools in Birmingham are not yet ready to provide free school meals to pupils.”
It has, we hope, been a busy summer!