The “vast majority” of children in primary school years three and four will receive free school meals from next term, the Welsh Government has pledged. Councils able to give more pupils free meals ahead of the timetable have been funded to do so.
However, although it said most years three and four would get free school meals from September, the Welsh Government said it could not confirm which councils would be making the offer, and which not.
“The next phase of the expansion to provide free school meals to all pupils in primary school will begin in September 2023, with the offer growing to include the majority of learners in years three and four. The programme will then expand further in April 2024, reaching years five and six. Where local authorities are able to reach these year groups ahead of these milestones they have been funded to do so,” Cardiff Bay said in a statement.
£70 million of funding will support the next stage in the expansion of free school meals, Education Minister Jeremy Miles said. The introduction of universal free school meals for primary school pupils is part of the Co-operation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.
