From The Mayor of London

Dear Parent/Carer, 

Delivering universal free school meals (UFSM) in London’s primary schools has been one of my  proudest achievements. I am delighted that all primary school children in state-funded schools will  continue to receive free school meals for as long as I am Mayor. 

Over the last two academic years, I have seen first-hand the transformative impact of this  

important intervention, ensuring that no child goes hungry and giving all children the best possible  chance to succeed.  

At a time when the cost of living is still so high, I hope this program has offered some financial  relief to your family – potentially saving parents and carers over £500 per year per child. It is hugely  encouraging to see research show that UFSM in London are also improving nutrition, behaviour,  concentration, energy levels and parent-school relationships. 

Even though your child will continue receiving free school meals automatically, it remains vitally  important to register for the Government’s free school meals if you meet the criteria.  

This will ensure you receive other benefits you may be entitled to, like food vouchers during the  holidays. It could also bring the school an extra £1,480 in funding per child. That is more money for  extra-curricular activities, teacher development, and support for children who need it most.  

Please visit https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals or speak to your school for further  

information on how to register. 

I am immensely proud that we have funded over 70 million free school meals to date, with  

hundreds of thousands of London’s primary school children benefitting every day. I know this is  just one part of the help families need to support their families.  

I will continue to do all I can to support Londoners of all backgrounds, as we build a fairer, better  and healthier London for everyone.

I have been writing to you with updates termly since I announced this programme in 2023. Now  that we near the end of the second year of UFSM, there will be fewer updates to provide you with,  so I will only write to you if and when there is new information to share. 

I also want to thank you, the parents and carers, for the role you play in building the strong and  caring communities that help your children to have the best start in life. Working together, we can  build a London that is healthier, fairer and more prosperous for everyone. 

Yours sincerely, 

Sir Sadiq Khan 

Mayor of London