SCHOOL MEAL FUNDING SYSTEM

… WE TALK TO BBC NORTH WEST NEWS ABOUT HOW THE SCHOOL MEAL FUNDING SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE OVERHAULED

Following the Department of Education’s announcement last week, that the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) is increasing by 5p – far lower than many in the industry expected – we’re calling for the government to overhaul the funding system.

Adam Curtis, Director and Co-Owner at Dolce Catering, has called the current funding system as ‘completely dysfunctional’ and warns of more Local Authorities going under in the coming months.

Adam filmed with BBC North West at a primary school in Bolton on Monday 9 December, to talk about the recent increase to school meal funding and the significant impact on smaller schools, due to the way the subsidy is calculated.

We work with over 650 primary and secondary schools nationwide, providing 125,000 meals for pupils every day, and funding is an issue we feel passionately about. It was great to build awareness and present a UIFSM subsidy solution that can support schools large and small.

Adam Curtis, Director Co-Owner at Dolce Catering, says: “School meals are woefully underfunded; the 5p increase to UIFSM isn’t where it needs to be.

“However, the root cause of the problem doesn’t just lie in underfunding; it lies in a completely dysfunctional application of how the subsidy is applied.

“Every school, no matter what the size, is allocated the same amount per meal. This simply doesn’t work because catering is based on economies of scale. Larger schools, which have more pupils, can achieve school meals at a far lower price per meal than smaller schools can.

“A small, rural primary school with 100 pupils on roll can face costs of around £5.50 a meal whereas a larger primary school, with 800 pupils on roll, could get their meal price as low as £2.25 a meal. With the new UIFSM funding sitting at £2.58 per meal, too much money is spent at some larger schools, whereas not enough is spent at middle sized and smaller schools.

“The truth is that it requires a fixed sum and a variable – for example, £20k fixed sum subsidy with a £2 variable subsidy to make sure enough money goes to small rural schools and that too much isn’t spent at larger schools.

“For some Local Authority catering departments, financially supporting the smaller schools has become too difficult. Hampshire, Leicester City, Cheshire East and Oldham, have gone under this year. Nottinghamshire is in the process of outsourcing to a big Facilities Management company, whilst Newcastle is in the process of reviewing their viability. I predict half a dozen more Local Authorities will close their doors on school meals in the next 12 months, with serious long-term impact.

“The government needs to overhaul how school meal funding is applied and rectify the imbalance.”

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