11.11.24

National School Meals Week 2024 runs from November 11 to November 15 and is a time to recognise the critical role that nutritious school meals play in supporting children's health, academic success, and overall well-being.

Cardiff Council joins the nation in celebrating by showcasing its commitment to ensuring every child has access to healthy, balanced meals through its exemplary adherence to the Healthy Eating in School (Nutritional Standards and Requirements) (Wales) Regulations 2013, for which the council holds a gold standard.

A spokesperson for Cardiff Council said: "Cardiff Council is proud to highlight the expansion of the Welsh Government's Universal Free School Meals programme, which now reaches over 21,100 primary-aged pupils across the city with more than three million meals served since the start of the roll out. This programme provides significant financial relief to families, ensuring that children eat well during the school day and helping to mitigate the impact of the rising cost of living and ensuring that financial barriers don't stand in the way of children's education.

"Every primary pupil from Reception to Year 6 now has access to free school meals and we're proud to see the positive impact this programme is already having on thousands of families across Cardiff."

Cardiff Council encourages families to log onto their ParentPay accounts to pre-order meals and ensure that no child misses out on this benefit. More information can be found at www.parentpay.com

In addition to the Universal Free School Meals for primary pupils, Cardiff Council reminds families with secondary school-aged children who receive benefits to continue registering for free school meals. "It is essential that those who are eligible get the support they need," the spokesperson added. "We urge anyone who thinks they may qualify for free school meals or additional assistance to reach out so that they can access the necessary support throughout the school year."

To find out more about National School Meals Week please visit National School Meals Week - National School Meals Week

Important information about benefit based Free School Meals

In addition to Universal Free School Meals, families who receive benefits and with children of all ages,mustcontinue to register for a free school meal. Details can be found here; Free School Meals

Eligible learners in Cardiff can also access additional financial support from the Welsh Government School Essentials Grant (formerly Pupil Development Grant) School Essentials Grant which helps with the cost of uniform, sports equipment, stationery, and devices. This is in addition to Free School Meals.

Registering for available support may also mean a child's school can access additional funding which can be spent on supporting learning.

Qualifying benefits include:

• Income Support
• Income Related Employment Support Allowance
• Income Based JobSeeker's Allowance
• Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit, or
• Child Tax Credit with an income less than £16,190
• Universal Credit if the net household earnings is less than £7400.

If you are a family with children who arenotcurrently receiving Free School Meals and your circumstances have changed this year, Cardiff Council might have support available for you.For more information visit Find out about Free School Meals

You can also call the Adviceline on 029 2087 1071 or pop into one of our Hubs.

• Cardiff Council currently has a range of support for people struggling with cost of living pressures. This includes assistance with obtaining food, advice on winter fuel bills, help with rent arrears and much more. We encourage anyone experiencing difficulties at the moment to get in touch with our Money Advice Team on 029 2087 1071, email advicehub@cardiff.gov.uk, pop into any Hub or visit www.cardiff.gov.uk/costofliving