The Mirror: News, Sport, Celebrity & EntertainmentHeadteacher turns down government free breakfast club scheme over cost fears
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/free-breakfast-club-schools-uk-37043236
Jennifer Moore 😷Really liking the idea of all kids getting free school meals. Significant reduction in admin bother, and removes stigma for the kids who need them. Nice one Green Party.
https://greenparty.org.uk/2026/04/14/greens-announce-measures-to-end-the-affordability-crisis-and-normalisation-of-foodbank-use/
Greens announce measures to end the affordability crisis and ‘normalisation’ of foodbank use - Green Party
The Green Party has warned that the use of foodbanks in the UK has become ‘normalised’, pointing to the fact that around 6.5 million people a year turn to charitable food providers and that one in five people doing so are from a working household [1]. In 2025, 2.9 million emergency food parcels were provided to people facing hardship across the UK between April 2024 and March 2025, with more than […]
Lazarou Monkey Terror 🚀💙🌈Now this is some 'Common Sense'
#UKPol #UKPolitics #Greens #GPEW #GreenParty #LocalElections26 #Affordability #FreeSchoolMeals #RentControl
EditorBUILDING FOR THE FUTURE: £4.9m school boost gets underway in Townhill
A brand-new dining hall and all-weather sports pitch are being built at Townhill Community Primary School, with leaders hailing the project as a “game-changer” for pupils and families.
The investment — backed largely by the Welsh Government — aims to make sure every child can benefit from free school meals without squeezing into cramped facilities.
Right now, all pupils are entitled to a free lunch — but the school’s current kitchen and canteen simply can’t keep up.
Council leader Rob Stewart said:
“This is making a real and important difference to families throughout Swansea.”
And it’s not just about food.
The new hall will double up as a performance and community space — giving parents more room to watch school concerts and opening the doors for wider local use.
Meanwhile, a brand-new multi-use games area will give pupils — and the wider community — a place to stay active all year round.
Townhill Primary School, which was built in 1924 (Image: Swansea Council)Education boss Robert Smith said:
“This will be an exciting addition… boosting health and wellbeing during the day and beyond.”
Contractors Andrew Scott Ltd are leading the build, which is expected to take around a year.
School leaders say the investment is about more than bricks and mortar.
Headteacher Peter Owen outside Townhill Community Primary School, which is set for a £4.9m upgrade.(Image: Swansea Council)
Headteacher Peter Owen said:
“We are delighted the school and community are going to have such a superb resource.”
And governors say it marks a step towards becoming a true “community school” — with facilities used long after the final bell rings.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Clarkson blasts “mad” school dinners
TV host hits out as imported chicken lands on Welsh pupils’ plates.
Imported chicken in school dinners sparks anger
Welsh farmers say they’re being cut out of the system.
Council to trial seasonal school dinner menu
Veg grown on the authority’s own farm set to hit the plates.
School celebrates dinner supervisor’s 40 years
A milestone moment for a much‑loved member of staff.
We live in a Society Julia Hately Spewer...
#JuliaHartleyBrewer #Poverty #FreeSchoolMeals #Inequality #WelfareState
toad at KillBaitMany Eligible Children in England Are Not Receiving Free School Meals
A significant number of children in England who qualify for free school meals are not receiving them, according to a report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI). The report identifies several barriers that prevent families from accessing these meals, including stigma, lack of digital access and... [More info]
poliwrath3823 at KillBaitCornwall to Automatically Enroll Eligible Families for Free School Meals Starting in 2026
Cornwall Council has announced that from September 2026, children eligible for free school meals will be automatically enrolled, eliminating the need for families to apply. This decision follows the release of an annual public health report highlighting that over 27,000 children and young people in ... [More info]
Reform UKReform UK expels Devon councillor who ‘crossed the line’
Reform UK has expelled one of its own Devon councillors from the party over a row about a letter being sent without consent.
Devon County councillor Ed Hill, (Pinhoe & Mincinglake), has been kicked out over claims by the party that he distributed a letter on free school meals to MPs and the media purportedly signed by 17 Reform councillors.
Reform UK expels Devon councillor who ‘crossed the line’, Devon Live
Judithhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0k7dv1mnpvo
This article says that the funding provided to schools in England for each free meal is currently £2.58, rising to £2.61 next school year. £3.45 is seen as the amount that's actually required.
£2.58 seems enough to me, especially as the school can budget for 5 days of meals for many pupils.
Then I wondered about staff costs. Does the £2.58 have to cover the salary of cooks and kitchen staff? That would make a huge difference.
AutisticMumTo3 She/Her or They/ThemWe Demand Universal Free School Meals - We #AintAsking
www.change.org/p/we-demand-...
#SchoolMeals
#FreeSchoolMeals
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