To be moved by Councillor Elliott and seconded by Councillor Jones
According to the Joseph Rowntree trust, 35% of children in our Borough are living in poverty, this is a similar number of all nearby local authorities.
The ethos of RMBC is “every child to fulfil their potential” to help us achieve that we must make sure that every child has the nutrition they need to be able to learn and work towards their potential during the school day. Not doing so will undermine the efforts of the education and health care workforce to tackle inequalities.
There is no disputing the benefits of free school meals provide to those currently entitled, for many it is the only hot nutritious meal they have in a school day. A quality school meal helps improve children’s concentration and behaviour during lessons and can have an effect on improving school attendance, academic performance and not least on children’s health.
One in three school age children in England living in poverty missed out on free school meals despite families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, this is because of the restrictive eligibility criteria
and the lack of universal provision, 7 in 10 children from families on universal credit are not eligible for free school meals.
Excluding so many vulnerable children to free school meals is a real barrier to learning and must be urgently addressed. Now is the right moment for the Government to commit to an expansion of free school meals, providing a nutritional safety net that supports all children to learn and achieve. The clear solution to ensuring fairness and equality across our schools is to extend universal provision as Wales, Scotland and London have committed to deliver.
This Council recognises that:
When children are hungry, they cannot learn properly because it is harder for them to concentrate and so reach their potential.
Free school meals for every child will put money back into parents’ pockets which can be used to pay for other essentials such as heating and food at home or after school clubs or hobbies.
This Council resolves to:
Write to the Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan, copying in in our three local MPs, urging her to introduce universal free school meals for all Primary school children at the earliest opportunity.
Minutes:
Notice of Motion – Support the Expansion of Free School Meals to all Primary School Children
It was moved by Councillor Elliott and seconded by Councillor Jones that:
According to the Joseph Rowntree trust, 35% of children in our Borough are living in poverty, this is a similar number of all nearby local authorities.
The ethos of RMBC is “every child to fulfil their potential” to help us achieve that we must make sure that every child has the nutrition they need to be able to learn and work towards their potential during the school day. Not doing so will undermine the efforts of the education and health care workforce to tackle inequalities.
There is no disputing the benefits of free school meals provide to those currently entitled, for many it is the only hot nutritious meal they have in a school day. A quality school meal helps improve children’s concentration and behaviour during lessons and can have an effect on improving school attendance, academic performance and not least on children’s health.
One in three school age children in England living in poverty missed out on free school meals despite families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, this is because of the restrictive eligibility criteria and the lack of universal provision, 7 in 10 children from families on universal credit are not eligible for free school meals.
Excluding so many vulnerable children to free school meals is a real barrier to learning and must be urgently addressed. Now is the right moment for the Government to commit to an expansion of free school meals, providing a nutritional safety net that supports all children to learn and achieve. The clear solution to ensuring fairness and equality across our schools is to extend universal provision as Wales, Scotland and London have committed to deliver.
This Council recognises that:
When children are hungry, they cannot learn properly because it is harder for them to concentrate and so reach their potential.
Free school meals for every child will put money back into parents’ pockets which can be used to pay for other essentials such as heating and food at home or after school clubs or hobbies.
This Council resolves to:
Write to the Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan, copying in in our three local MPs, urging her to introduce universal free school meals for all Primary school children at the earliest opportunity.
In accordance with Rule of Procedure 19 (2) Councillor Allen requested that a recorded vote should be taken on the proposed motion.
In accordance with the Rule of Procedure 5 Members stood to show their support for a recorded vote to be taken on the motion.
In accordance with Rule of Procedure 19 (1) a recorded vote was taken on the motion as follows:
For: Councillors Alam, Allen, Andrews, Atkin, Aveyard, Baker-Rodgers, Barker, Barley, Beck, Bennett-Sylvester, Bird, Brookes, Browne, A. Carter, C. Carter, Clark, Cooksey, Cowen, Cusworth, Elliott, Ellis, Griffin, Haleem, Havard, Hoddinott, Hughes, Jones, Keenan, Khan, Lelliott, McNeely, Miro, Monk, Read, Roche, Sansome, Sheppard, Taylor, Thompson, Wilson, and Wyatt.
Against: Councillors Bacon, Ball, Burnett, Z. Collingham, Fisher, Hunter, Mills, Reynolds, Tinsley, and Whomersley.
Abstentions: None.