Schoolgirl holds a plate of food in a school cafeteria. Credit: monkeybusinessimages / iStock
Making free school meals expansion work for every child
WebinarWednesday 2 December 2026 • 11:0012:15
Join us to hear from local councils about lessons learned, what’s working and what challenges schools and local authorities face in ensuring every eligible child is registered and able to take up free school meals
From September 2026, free school meals (FSM) have been expanded in England to include children in all households receiving Universal Credit. This is a significant step towards ensuring more children can access a healthy, nutritious meal at school.
But how is the expansion working in practice?
Local authorities are taking different approaches to identifying newly eligible children, communicating with families, supporting registration and take-up, and managing increased demand for school meals.
Join us for an online panel discussion bringing together local authorities to share their experiences of the rollout so far. We'll explore what's working well, the challenges councils are facing, and practical lessons that could help other areas make the most of this expansion.
Who should attend?
This webinar is primarily for local authorities and councils, particularly teams involved in free school meals, auto-registration, education as well as providing wider food security support to communities and families. It will also be relevant to education leaders and school food policy professionals.
Speakers will be announced soon!
Children's Food Campaign: Campaigning for policy changes so that all children can easily eat sustainable and healthy food.
Sustain
The Green House
244-254 Cambridge Heath Road
London E2 9DA
020 3559 6777
sustain@sustainweb.org
Our mission is to catalyse systemic change in the UK’s food and farming system – securing a healthy, fair, and sustainable future for all people, nature and a stable climate.
© Sustain 2026
Registered charity (no. 1018643)
Data privacy & cookies
Icons by Icons8
