Free school meals in Wales to be extended to all primary pupils
The Welsh Government has made a commitment to extend Free School Meals to all primary school pupils for three years.
In preparing to deliver this commitment, the Welsh Government has already begun the important work of co-constructing an approach to implementation with its key delivery partners, including local authorities, schools, food producers and suppliers, and relevant voluntary organisations. This includes efforts to better understand the capacity of the workforce and kitchen and dining facilities that form the backbone of the school meal infrastructure within Wales.
Jeremy Miles, Minister for Education and Welsh Language, said : “We are very keen to make progress at the earliest opportunity. Our early discussions with partners suggest it is likely that the remainder of the 2021/2022 academic year will be necessary to put the delivery arrangements and capacity in place. We are also mindful of the challenges local authorities and schools continue to face in operating during the pandemic.”
The aim is to begin implementation in September 2022 with the youngest learners in primary receiving free school meals. The Welsh Government would then look to continue the roll-out in September 2023 so that all learners in primary schools can benefit from a free school meal. This will allow sufficient time for planning and preparation of the required infrastructure to best ensure success.
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