Southwark Council reveals 10 schools taking part in healthy meals pilot

The schools in the pilot programme starting January 2011 are Albion, Brunswick Park, Haymerle, Redriff, Riverside, Rye Oak, St Francesca Cabrini, St Jude's CE, St James the Great RC and Surrey Square. The pilot will focus on a number of areas including uptake, capacity and the type of meal to be offered. Its purpose is to ensure best value for money is achieved, with proper planning and evaluation. The pilot will run from January to July 2011 with reception and year 1 pupils. The programme will be offered to all schools to start in September 2011, initially to specific year groups. Thereafter the programme will be rolled out to all year groups in all Southwark primary schools. Catherine McDonald, cabinet member for children's services, said: "Free, healthy schools meals is a policy that we believe can make a significant difference to children's lives, education and futures. And, at a time when central government is cutting financial assistance to children and parents, this policy has never been more important. "The council believes it is the right of every child to benefit from a free healthy school meal, no matter what their economic background, with no child excluded from the opportunity to have a free, healthy meal. "This is particularly true in lean economic times not just because of the health and educational benefits to all our pupils, but also because of the financial benefits for the least well off in society."