LACA vice chair warns Government’s free school meals funding is ‘inadequate’
School caterers are having to cut down on portion sizes and adjust menus to counteract rising costs. LACA, whose members feed 3m pupils a day, is warning that funding from the Government for free school meals isn’t keeping up with the real cost of providing school dinners.
Michael Hales, vice chair of LACA, commented: “We are getting £2.61 per meal [as of September 2025] and its inadequate as its not kept up with inflation over the last few years. Speaking to our members in a recent survey, they believe the true cost of delivering that hot healthy and nutritious meal is actually £3.45.”
Clare Morton, headteacher at St Mary’s Primary School in Stoke, says increased costs are meaning some tough choices for school caterers. Schools in England only get £2.58 per child to cover free schools meals (this is rising to £2.61 as of September 2025).
In an interview with BBC Radio 4, Morton goes onto say that the actual cost of providing a school meal is £3.20 per pupil so there is a deficit of 60p per child per day. This works out at around £45,000 pounds a year, which Morton says could pay for another teacher to join the school.