Free School Meals
Cornwall Introduces Auto-enrolment for Free School Meals
We welcome Cornwall Council’s decision to automatically enrol eligible children for free school meals. It is a vital step towards tackling child hunger and supporting pupils’ learning.
Under the change, children in Cornwall who qualify for free school meals will now receive them from their first day at school without families having to complete paperwork. This removes a key barrier that has often left children missing out on a nutritious lunch at the start of term.
Naomi Duncan, Chief Executive at Chefs in Schools, said:
“It’s great to see more and more local authorities acting to reduce barriers for children who are entitled to a free school meal. Feeding children well in school not only provides immediate nutrition but fuels learning and can create lifelong positive impacts on eating habits. National government should act on auto-enrolment so that we’re not reliant on the actions or otherwise of individual local authorities.”
The Future Of School Food Campaign
Cornwall’s move follows growing calls for automatic enrolment across the country. Currently, many families miss out on support due to complicated application processes, despite being entitled to free school meals.
Nerissa Buckley, Senior Chef Trainer at Chefs in Schools, said:
“This is fantastic news for children and families in Cornwall. It means pupils will receive a school lunch from their very first day without families needing to complete paperwork, which too often leaves eligible children going without. We’ve been working across the south west with schools, pupils, and partners like Public Health Cornwall and Sustainable Food Cornwall to transform school food culture, and this decision is an important first step. Our School by School transformation at Marlborough in Falmouth shows the huge impact that scratch-cooked, nutritious food and food education can have, and we’re excited to build on this momentum.”
At Chefs in Schools, we work across Cornwall, Devon and the wider south west to help schools serve fresh, nutritious meals and bring food education into everyday school life. Over the past two years, nearly fifty schools in the region have trained with us. Now, we’re taking things further with a fully funded training roadshow, bringing our expertise straight into school kitchens.
Our Chef Trainers will work side by side with your team, in your space, making it easier than ever to build skills and put learning into practice immediately.
If you’re a school chef, school leader or caterer and want your team to take part, email carys@chefsinschools.org.uk to book your place.