#school-dinner — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #school-dinner, aggregated by home.social.
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FREE SCHOOL MEALS: £15m to extend support to more Swansea Bay secondary pupils from September
More secondary school pupils across Swansea Bay and Carmarthenshire are set to qualify for free school meals, under a £15m Welsh Government investment confirmed today.
The money will begin removing the strict income limit that currently shuts many families out, even when they are on Universal Credit.
At present, a secondary pupil only qualifies for free school meals if their family receives Universal Credit and earns less than £7,400 a year, excluding benefits.
The new funding starts the work of scrapping that cap, so that any secondary-age child in a household on Universal Credit can qualify, regardless of household income.
The change will be rolled out from September, starting with pupils in Years 7 and 8, whose parents will be able to apply for the new scheme.
The £15m is split into £10m of capital funding — to upgrade school kitchens and dining areas — and £5m to introduce and run the expanded scheme.
It forms part of the Welsh Government’s supplementary budget for 2026-27, due to be published on 23 June.
The move builds on the rollout of free school meals to all primary school children in Wales, which was delivered under the 2021 to 2024 co-operation agreement between the then Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.
Education Minister Anna Brychan said the funding marked the first step in a wider commitment to extend the meals to more secondary pupils.
“This funding marks the first step in our commitment to extend free school meals to more secondary pupils, ensuring that support reaches families who need it most,” she said.
“By starting to invest, we are laying the foundations for a fair and sustainable expansion that will make a real difference in pupils’ daily lives.”
She said the policy was about removing barriers to learning, adding that access to nutritious food improved concentration, attainment and health.
“Building on the success of universal primary free school meals, we will ensure that as children move into secondary education those who need it most will continue to receive the support they need to thrive,” she said.
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth said extending eligibility was an important step in tackling child poverty and reducing inequality across Wales.
“Starting this work is a key aspect of our 100 Day Plan and beyond — taking practical action by putting money back into families’ pockets and ensuring every young person has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background,” he said.
The expansion comes against a backdrop of stubbornly high child poverty in the region, with around one in four children in Swansea estimated to be growing up in poverty.
The Welsh Government said it was working with partners to deliver the scheme “at pace”, with further details promised shortly.
For families across the region, the practical question will be how and when to apply — with the first applications, for Years 7 and 8, expected to open in the autumn term.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Free school meals rolled out to all primary pupils in Wales
The earlier expansion this £15m secondary-school investment builds on.Welsh Government pumps £55m into funded childcare
The new government’s earlier move to put money back into families’ pockets.One in four Swansea kids in poverty
#education #ElunedMorganMS #freeSchoolMeals #PlaidCymru #schoolDinner #WelshGovernment #WelshLabour
The scale of child poverty the latest measures are aimed at tackling. -
Clarkson blasts ‘mad’ school dinners as Welsh kids fed chicken from China and Thailand
The former Top Gear host — now better known to many as a working farmer thanks to his hit Amazon series Clarkson’s Farm — has waded into the controversy after it emerged children across Wales are being served chicken from countries including China, Thailand and Brazil.
And he’s speaking from experience.
Since taking over Diddly Squat Farm, Clarkson has repeatedly highlighted the financial pressures, regulations and challenges facing British farmers — something he says makes the school meals situation even harder to understand.
Typical school dinner tray featuring fried chicken, macaroni, corn and diced potatoes — similar to meals served in Welsh schools using imported poultry.
(Image: Ezumeimages / Dreamstime.com)Swansea figures spark outrage
As previously revealed by Swansea Bay News, the situation in south west Wales has left many readers stunned.
In Swansea itself, just 2.33% of the chicken used in school meals comes from the UK, with the vast majority imported — including a significant proportion from outside Europe altogether.
Elsewhere in the region, the picture is no clearer. Carmarthenshire Council admitted using chicken from outside the EU to cater for halal dietary requests but declined to say where it came from, while Pembrokeshire also refused to provide detailed figures. Neath Port Talbot did not respond to requests for information.
Across Wales, the figures become even more stark. In Merthyr Tydfil, almost all school chicken — more than 99% — is imported, while in Gwynedd the vast majority is sourced from countries including Brazil, Thailand and China.
Perhaps most striking of all, not a single council in Wales was able to confirm how much of the chicken served to children is actually Welsh.
Jeremy Clarkson and Kaleb Cooper share a moment while working the land in Clarkson’s Farm. (Credit: Amazon)Clarkson: “It makes no sense”
Writing in a national newspaper column, Clarkson said the situation left him completely baffled.
“How is it possible to ship a chicken all the way from Chiang Mai to Bridgend and for it to arrive with a lower price tag than a chicken reared two miles down the road?”
He blamed government policy for creating what he sees as a deeply unfair system — something he says he’s experienced first-hand.
“It’s the government that imposes unbelievably strict and expensive standards on British farmers — and then allows imports that don’t follow anything like the same rules.”
Clarkson said those rules — while often well-intentioned — can leave UK farmers struggling to compete.
Jeremy Clarkson takes a break on the farm alongside Kaleb Cooper during filming of Clarkson’s Farm. (Credit: Amazon)“Jumping through all these hoops makes farming here clean and efficient… but it also makes it more expensive.”
‘British farmers being priced out’
Drawing on his own experience running a farm, Clarkson warned that UK agriculture is being squeezed from all sides.
He pointed to bans on certain pesticides and stricter welfare rules in Britain compared to other countries — arguing that while they may protect the environment and animals, they also drive up costs.
“We do the right thing here… and then import food from places that don’t.”
He said the result is a system where British farmers are effectively being undercut in their own market.
“British farmers are being priced… into the bankruptcy court.”
A system “no one can fix”?
Clarkson also suggested the problem may be bigger than government alone, pointing to global trade rules that limit what the UK can do about imports.
“On the face of it, there’s not a damn thing we can do about it.”
But he did offer one solution — urging consumers and organisations to pay closer attention to where food comes from.
Campaigners are angry that Chicken imported from thousands of miles away are beiung used for school dinners – rather than locally bred animals“If there’s a little red tractor, it means the food you’re buying was grown here in the UK.”
Parents and farmers hit out
The revelations have sparked a wave of frustration across Wales, particularly among farming families who feel they are being undercut in their own communities.
Many parents have also been left questioning what exactly is ending up on their children’s plates, and why food is being shipped thousands of miles when high-quality produce is available locally.
Critics say the situation simply doesn’t add up in a country with such strong agricultural roots, while campaigners warn it risks undermining both environmental goals and confidence in the food system.
Pressure mounting in Wales
The growing backlash is now turning the issue into a wider political and public debate.
Campaigners are calling for councils to be far more open about where school food comes from, while also pushing for changes that would allow more Welsh produce to be used in public sector meals.
There is also increasing pressure to reduce reliance on imported meat altogether, particularly at a time when local farmers are facing rising costs and uncertainty.
A row far from over
With a high-profile voice like Clarkson — and his very public farming struggles — now adding fuel to the fire, the debate over school meals in Wales shows no sign of slowing down.
And for many, the question remains:
Why are Welsh children eating imported chicken… when it could be produced on their own doorstep?
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
City leaders back Gower farm‑to‑fork revolution
A hands‑on visit highlights the push for local, sustainable food production.Imported chicken in school dinners sparks anger
Welsh farmers say they’re being sidelined as foreign meat fills menus.Collapsing milk prices threaten Welsh family farms
The FUW warns livelihoods are at risk as returns fall sharply.Tractors roll into Westminster in farmers’ protest
Campaigners demand fair budgets and tax rules to protect family farms.Top award for founder of Gower View Foods
A local food champion earns national recognition for rural innovation.More farming stories
#BritishFarmers #chickenImports #ClarksonSFarm #CountrysideAlliance #DiddlySquatFarm #Farming #foodSourcing #foodStandards #importedChicken #JeremyClarkson #KalebCooper #LisaHogan #localProduce #schoolDinner #schoolDinners #schoolMeals #schoolMealsUK #Sustainability #UKFarmingCrisis #WalesFarming #WelshAgriculture #WelshPolitics #WelshSchools
All the latest on agriculture, rural policy and food production. -
Detroit public schools looking to make after-school food access easier for students
The Detroit Public Schools Community District board is working on policy changes that it said would improve students’ access to meals. Board Secretary Ida Simmons Short’s proposal relies on two c…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Food #afterschoolsnack #schooldinner #schoollunch #Schoolmeals
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2387115/detroit-public-schools-looking-to-make-after-school-food-access-easier-for-students/ -
Detroit public schools looking to make after-school food access easier for students
The Detroit Public Schools Community District board is working on policy changes that it said would improve students’ access to meals. Board Secretary Ida Simmons Short’s proposal relies on two c…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Food #afterschoolsnack #schooldinner #schoollunch #Schoolmeals
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2387115/detroit-public-schools-looking-to-make-after-school-food-access-easier-for-students/ -
Detroit public schools looking to make after-school food access easier for students
The Detroit Public Schools Community District board is working on policy changes that it said would improve students’ access to meals. Board Secretary Ida Simmons Short’s proposal relies on two c…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Food #afterschoolsnack #schooldinner #schoollunch #Schoolmeals
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2387115/detroit-public-schools-looking-to-make-after-school-food-access-easier-for-students/ -
Detroit public schools looking to make after-school food access easier for students
The Detroit Public Schools Community District board is working on policy changes that it said would improve students’ access to meals. Board Secretary Ida Simmons Short’s proposal relies on two c…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Food #afterschoolsnack #schooldinner #schoollunch #Schoolmeals
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2387115/detroit-public-schools-looking-to-make-after-school-food-access-easier-for-students/