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Our offers

Support

school visits

 

School Visits
We visit schools to review the lunchtime meal offer, engage with staff and pupils to gain feedback, provide a written summary of our findings, and signpost school staff to relevant support and resources.

The visit offers practical advice, celebrates good practice, and identifies opportunities to further develop and enhance your school food provision.
Procurement stock image

School Food Procurement Framework

The Southwark School Food Procurement Framework supports schools to procure high-quality school food services from pre-approved suppliers, in partnership with the Department for Education's Get Help Buying for Schools service.

The framework helps schools achieve value for money, maintain high standards, and simplify the procurement process.

To find out more about the support available, please contact Kirsty.Salmon@southwark.gov.uk.

 
Policy and action plan support icon

Secondary School Food Policy and Action Plan Support

We offer free one-to-one support to help secondary schools develop and implement a School Food Policy and Action Plan. A School Food Policy and Action Plan can help improve your school's food environment, increase pupil engagement, and support a whole-school approach to healthy eating and wellbeing.

If you are interested in this support, contact schoolfood@southwark.gov.uk.

 
Living Wage

London living wage grant scheme

Our grant scheme helps newly accredited Living Wage Employers with their accreditation fees. The 2025 to 2026 Living Wage rate is £14.80 per hour in London.

To apply for Living Wage grant scheme you must:

  • have become accredited with the Living Wage Foundation for the first time on or after 6 November 2023 and have already paid the initial accreditation fees
  • have 250 employees or fewer
  • must be based in Southwark

Apply for the Living Wage grant scheme here

If you have any queries about the scheme email and include ‘Southwark Living Wage Grant Scheme’ in the subject line: southwarkbusinessdesk@southwark.gov.uk
Water Only Schools

Water only schools and Fizz Free February

Healthy Schools London offer a Water only school toolkit for primary and secondary schools. Download the toolkit here 

We challenge schools and children and family centres every February to give up fizzy drinks. Prizes and assemblies are on offer for your school. Read more about Fizz Free February and how to sign up for 2027 here.
Food waste bin schools

Free food waste collection and workshops

All schools in Southwark are eligible for free weekly food waste collections.

The Simpler Recycling regulations require schools to manage food waste.

Please contact southwarkenquiries@veolia.co.uk to set up the service.

Training

School Food Champions

School Food Champions

Designed for busy secondary school staff, this free self-guided course supports you to build healthier school food environments and strengthen advocacy for better school food at your own pace.

Open to kitchen staff, teachers, teaching assistants, D&T teachers and administrative staff. 

To register your interest, contact us at: schoolfood@southwark.gov.uk
bite back

Fuel the future: Bite Back in schools

A fully funded student-led programme to transform secondary school food. Schools can get a £500 grant, a kick-off assembly delivered by an inspiring Bite Back Ambassador, ready-to-go resources and session plans and high-quality physical resources. 

Apply or learn more: https://www.biteback2030.com/join-bite-back-in-schools/ 

Questions? Contact: schoolfoodchampions@biteback2030.com

Funding

1. Free Healthy Nursery Meals

Since 2019, we have provided Free Healthy Nursery Meals, and since 2023 we have offered funding for breakfast. Funding is provided where funding conditions are met. 

2. Universal Infant Free School Meals

Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) funding is provided by the UK Government to enable all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 to receive a free school meal, regardless of their family's income. Schools receive funding based on the number of meals taken, helping to cover the cost of providing these meals.

3. Mayor of London Key Stage 2 + Free School Meals + Special Schools funding 

The Mayor of London currently funds free school meals for all KS2 primary-aged pupils in London. Funding is based on an 87% updtake, schools can apply for up to 13% additional funding for uptake above 87%. Special schools can also apply for up to £5000 extra funding each year to help meet additional costs. The deadline for schools to submit completed forms for the funding to schoolfood@southwak.gov.uk is usually April each year. For the submission form, and for more information, visit the Mayor of London's guidance for schools.

4. Free school meals auto enrolment

To help remove the barriers from parents/carers applying to FSM, we have introduced ‘auto enrolment’ to identify and register pupils who are free school meal eligible. Schools will receive Pupil Premium based on every additional pupil identified that are eligible for targeted Free School Meals. Schools will be sent pupil lists to register every term, before Census Day.

Nursery schools

Free Healthy Nursery Meals Funding Conditions 

  1. The additional breakfast payment should be spent on providing a nursery breakfast. If this is not feasible because of attendance patterns, the fund can be used to contribute towards a healthy meal or snack provision across the day. 

  2. All nursery meals and snacks provided must meet the requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage guidance. 

  3. Nurseries and schools must pay all directly employed catering staff the London Living Wage. For nurseries and schools currently using a third party catering provider, the provider must be instructed to pay the London Living Wage to all employees working on the contract at the earliest opportunity allowed by the contractual terms and conditions. 

  4. Nurseries, schools and their catering provider must participate in all evaluations or reviews of the Free Healthy Nursery Meals provision, when requested. 

Primary schools

  1. Schools to submit take-up rates for Key Stage 2 twice a year (at the same time as reporting Key Stage 1 for census day).

  2. The funding is only payable to schools if they participate in the Free Healthy School Meals programme and provide school meals, free of charge, to Non-Eligible Free School Meals pupils within Key Stage 2.

  3. The funding must be spent on provision of school lunch.

  4. All school lunches provided must meet the requirements of the National School Food Standards.

  5. Schools must meet the requirements of Southwark Council's healthy dessert policy

  6. Schools must meet the requirements of Southwark Council's water only policy.

  7. Schools must pay all directly employed catering staff the London Living Wage. For schools currently using a third party catering provider, the provider must be instructed to pay the London Living Wage to all employees working on the contract at the earliest opportunity allowed by the contractual terms and conditions.

  8. Furthermore, when going out to tender for a school meals catering provider, any new provider must adhere to the following requirements: the provider must, to all employees working on this contract, pay the London Living wage, as a minimum; all new employees, hired by the provider, to work on this contract must be paid London Living wage, as a minimum.

  9. School and their catering provider must participate in all evaluations or reviews of the Free Healthy School Meals provision, when requested.

Secondary schools

Condition 

Rationale and further detail 

The funding is for lunchtime service only 

The nutritional quality of food served at morning and afternoon break is generally poor across secondary schools. 

 

Lunch must be sold as a ‘healthy meal bundle’ 

 

  • At least two portions of fruit, vegetables or salad every day (portion = 80g). 

  • At least three portions of lean protein per week, including pulses, eggs, meat and beans (portion = 120g).

  • No more than two fried portions of food per week.

  • No more than two portions of pastry per week.

  • No more than two portions of processed meat or meat substitute per week (as applies across the whole school day). 

  • Only provide either still water, 100% fruit juice (max 150ml), fruit or vegetable juice with still water, or combinations of fruit juice and lower fat milk or plain yoghurt, plain soya, rice or oat drinks enriched with calcium; cocoa and lower fat milk; flavoured lower fat milk, all with less than 5% added sugars or honey.  

  • Drinking water must be freely available.

  • Provide 500-700 kcal per meal (a chef guide nutritional analysis is not required).

A cashless payment system must be used 

 

Pupils taking a meal must not be identifiable in dining hall or at service points. 

 

Report monthly meal uptake once per year

Every October, monthly meal uptake for the previous school year will be required.

 

Contribute to the evaluation of the offer 

Provide meal take up and catering sales data to help demonstrate best value for money. Participate in infrequent qualitative evaluation workshops. 

 

Make efforts to maximise benefits related FSM take up 

 

Increasing take up across the borough.