Synergy News & Blog: Guildford Office
Will it be Feast or Famine for Governments Free School Meal Pledge?
With less than five months before all infant children are to be provided with free school meals, figures obtained by the BBC suggest that one in three schools still require improvements to their catering facilities.
The figures show that more than 1700 schools have no kitchens at all and many of these will have to rely on hot meals delivered from external caterers or neighbouring schools.
The Governments Autumn statement pledged an extra £150 million to pay for the upgrade of school kitchens to allow the implementation of free school meals for all children under seven from September 2014.
With funding slow to filter through to schools and the complications caused in trying to work on kitchens in term time, there is a real concern that the improvements will not be completed ahead of the new academic year.
Stainless steel fabricators are warning of increasing lead-in times for purpose made equipment and fears of 16 week delivery periods have been mentioned in the industry.
Parents may find that their children return to school in September to sandwiches and rolls whilst contractors are still at work completing these projects.
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