Over three million children - one in three in every class - now qualify for free school meals as of the start of this school year, Education Secretary Lucy Powell has announced.
Writing for The Mirror, Powell called the expansion a milestone, saying it is no miracle cure for household finances but has been important in taking the edge off for families unsure where the money will come from to top up a child's dinner card each week.
She urged families who have not signed up to check whether they are eligible so they do not miss out, noting that hundreds of thousands more children are now getting their dinner for free at school every day.
Standards have drifted over a decade
Powell said the expansion presents a huge opportunity to make school meals healthier, tastier and more appealing as more children have a school lunch. A decent breakfast and a healthy lunch can make a real difference to how children feel, how they learn and how much they are able to enjoy their day.
She recalled Jamie Oliver's school dinners campaign of the early noughties, which forced the country to confront what children were eating - turkey twizzlers and other unhealthy food dressed up as a meal. While progress has been made since then, school food standards have drifted and have not been updated in over a decade.
Today we are delivering the biggest overhaul of school food in a generation - boosting standards so children get tasty, nutritious food throughout the school day. This applies to everyone, not just children getting free school meals.
Reforms developed with children, parents and schools
For busy parents, it means a new chance to get children off packed lunches and on to school dinners, knowing they will get a tasty, healthy, nutritious meal - one less thing to worry about in the morning rush.
The reforms were developed by working closely with children, parents and schools, testing the new approach and learning from what works in practice. Families consistently said they want food that is both healthy and appealing, while schools need changes that are practical to deliver.
That means more fruit and vegetables, more fibre, and more balanced meals that help children stay fuller, focused and ready to learn. It also means working with schools to make sure kids can still enjoy family favourites like sausage and mash and toad in the hole, so they actually want to eat what they are being served.
Schools to get training and resources
The best school kitchens are already showing what is possible, with talented chefs and catering teams finding creative ways to make healthier food colourful, familiar and exciting. Children are often brilliant at getting involved, trying new foods and flavours and shaping what works.
Schools will continue to get the training, resources and guidance they need to deliver these vital reforms, alongside a stronger system so parents can have confidence that good standards are reaching children's plates.
Powell described this as a generational shift in the quality of school food, expressing excitement about what it can mean for children and families across the country.
