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Southwark School Meals Transformation Programme

Our Offers - Support, Training & Funding

Support

School Food Action (delivered by School Food Matters)

Following the School Food Management training, the council are working with School Food Matters to support schools with a tailored approach to design and/or deliver food policies and action plans.

Register your interest here to join and if you have any questions contact: saadiya@schoolfoodmatters.org

School Food Procurement Framework
Helping schools to procure their school food service from pre-approved suppliers in collaboration with Department for Education’s Get Help Buying for Schools – available to schools from August 2025.

We will post more information soon.

School Visits
The council visit schools to review the lunchtime meal offer, engage with staff and students to gain feedback, and signpost school staff to relevant school food support.

If you have not had a visit and want one booked, please contact: schoolfood@southwark.gov.uk

Secondary School Chef Network
The council run a network to bring together chefs and kitchen staff across Southwark secondary schools. This is an opportunity to meet colleagues outside your school, learn from each other's experiences, and work on projects together.

Contact us to join the network mailing list: schoolfood@southwark.gov.uk

London living wage grant scheme

Our grant scheme helps newly accredited Living Wage Employers with their accreditation fees. The 2024 to 2025 Living Wage rate is £13.85 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 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. Register for Fizz Free February here

Free food waste collection and workshops

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

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

Training

Chefs in Schools support

Chef Educator Training provides a fully funded opportunity to chefs who wish to significantly improve the standards of food and food education in schools. Keep a look out for future training cohorts.

Chefs in Schools membership is for all in-house catered schools to address the various challenges faced by school chefs. This includes opportunities for professional development, recipes and resources, and access to a network of recommended suppliers and innovative solutions. 

Please contact if you are interested in the training and/or membership: sam@chefsinschools.org.uk

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

Early Start Nutrition Fussy Eating module

This free module provides settings with the education and support to improve the awareness and application of the early years' nutrition guidelines for fussy eating infants. 

Up to two staff members from your organisation can access a free self-directed online training on Fussy Eating.

Visit the link here and buy the course using this code: Nutrition2Southwark24*

School food management training 

Self-directed, online training, accredited by the Institute of School Business Leaders for School Business Managers to boost knowledge, skills, confidence and increase capacity to manage school meals services effectively.  

Sign up and complete the training here

School Governor Advice and Support

Learn more about the responsibilities of governors for school food and how they can help the transformation programme here.

Funding

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 grant conditions are met. 

Mayor of London Key Stage 2 90%+ Free School Meals + Special Schools funding 

The Mayor of London currently offers universal free school meals for all primary schools. Primary schools can receive up to 10% additional funding for KS2 free school meals if uptake is above 90%. Special schools can also apply for up to £5000 extra funding each year to help meet additional costs. 

Free healthy secondary school meals

We additionally fund free secondary school meals for families who get Universal Credit, and who are not currently eligible for government benefits related free school meals. 

Free school meals auto enrolment pupil premium

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 Free School Meals.