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0045 2023/24
13/11/2023
Children and Young People
All wards
School Meal Prices - 23/24 Academic Year
To approve the proposed charges for paid school meals and school milk for the 2023/24 Academic Year
To propose that the schedule of paid school meal prices and milk charges for the 2023/24 academic year are: Pupil meal (primary and special school): £2.60 Adult meals (school/individual) - £3.30 / £3.60 Christmas Adult meals (school/individual) - £3.40 / £4.00 School milk (infant age): £2.00 per term Secondary schools: cafeterias provide individually priced items set by the schools catering service. Prices are to be increased dependant on the item served with healthy choices receiving a lower increase in the region of 2%.
Services are required to review fees and charges on an annual basis and to work towards ensuring that budgeted levels of income are achieved. However, the Council is also mindful of the current cost of living pressures faced by many families in the borough and the barriers this may impose, preventing pupils from accessing the positive benefits of a healthy school meal. For the 2022/23 academic year the authority froze school meal prices at 2021/22 levels, despite the challenging inflationary environment. For the 2023/24 academic year, it is proposed that the price of a pupil meal is increased by ten pence (4%), which is significantly below the current level of inflation helping as many pupils as possible are able to access a healthy school meal.
An increase of 4% (ten pence) for primary pupil meals allows the authority to mitigate some of the impact of inflation and increasing labour costs although the CPI reported, to July 2023, the rate of inflation on food and non-alcoholic beverages was 14.9%, and the 2022/23 pay award resulted in a 10.1% increase on labour costs for the school meals service. Keeping the increase to 4% will ensure that a school meal remains an affordable option for pupils and their families. It is also proposed that the revised prices are introduced from the 2nd October 2023 to allow schools sufficient time to communicate the new prices, and families to assess their options. The proposed increase will not impact on the eligibility to access free school meals for those families in receipt of relevant qualifying benefits. Also, the proposals do not impact on the ability to receive a free school meal under the national Universal Infant Free School Meals initiative (UIFSM).
Potential adverse reaction to the price increase resulting in a reduced take up of school meals and loss of income.
Price increases have been kept to what is considered a reasonable level at 4%, below the CPI rate of inflation of 7.9% and the increased cost of labour (10.1%) and current levels of food inflation 14.9%. The Schools Catering Service also works closely with schools on initiative to boost uptake promoting the service and the health and wellbeing benefits for pupils taking a school meal provided by the authority.
None
Please contact Andrew Ferguson on 01744 676817
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