Free school dinners on next week’s menu

MORE Oldham children will be tucking into free school dinners from the start of the new school year next week.

Oldham Council has completed kitchen work across the borough to introduce the Government’s School Food Plan, which from Monday will mean all children in reception and year one and two of state-funded schools will automatically receive free meals.

Academies, free schools, maintained schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision are also included unless parents tell their child’s primary school otherwise. Around 5,000 pupils are included in the scheme.

Councillor Amanda Chadderton, Cabinet member for education and safeguarding, said: “Our primary schools will all be ready to offer the new free school meals and we are expecting a big uptake. This will help parents to save around £390 for each child a year.

Existing free school meals for disadvantaged pupils in nursery classes and at key stages two to four will continue using the current means-tested system.

Last year 7,783 local pupils were already taking free means-tested school meals.

A single application form has been introduced for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and free school meals to simplifying the application process.