We continue to work with Sandwell schools to build and support their music offer. It is our goal
to encourage every school in Sandwell to work with us, so that there is an equity of opportunity
for children to learn a musical instrument during their time at school.
Celebrating School Meals whilst Campaigning for Sustainable Funding and Quality
We were delighted to welcome Gurinder Josan CBE MP to Shireland Hall Primary School recently, where he joined pupils and staff for a school lunch and spent time learning more about the vital role school meals play in supporting children every day. The visit offered an excellent opportunity to showcase the quality, care and nutritional value that SIPS school catering delivers across our schools.
We are incredibly proud of the meals served to around 11,000 learners each day. Nutritious school food supports concentration, wellbeing and educational outcomes, and our teams work tirelessly to ensure every meal is appealing, balanced and prepared to a high standard.
The visit also provided an opportunity for constructive discussion about the challenges currently facing the school food sector. Like many organisations involved in delivering school meals, we continue to advocate for funding levels that better reflect the true cost of providing nutritious, high-quality food in today’s economic environment. During the discussion, we highlighted concerns around Free School Meal funding, which currently stands at £2.61 per meal, referencing research from The School Food People who suggest this should be at least £3.45
This directly increases pressure on already tight school budgets. Over recent years, food inflation, rising labour costs and taxation, and wider operational expenses have all increased substantially, creating a growing gap between funding and the real cost of delivering meals. Since 2014, funding per meal has increased by only 14%, while the National Living Wage and food costs have risen much more significantly.
Another important topic was the consultation on the proposed new School Food Standards and the need to strike the right balance between nutrition, pupil choice and meal uptake. Recent reports suggest further cost increases and reduced uptake, whilst ensuring children continue to choose school meals is essential, particularly for those who rely on them as their only quality meal of the day.
What made the visit especially valuable was the opportunity to have an open and positive conversation with an elected representative who took the time to see school catering in action. We appreciate Mr Josan’s interest in hearing directly from those involved in delivering school meals and discussing the realities faced by schools, catering providers and families.
School meals are about far more than food. They support learning, wellbeing, inclusion and community. We remain committed to providing the highest possible standards for our schools while continuing to champion sustainable funding that enables the sector to thrive for years to come.
A huge thank you to Shireland Hall Primary School for hosting the visit, and to Gurinder Josan MP for joining us, sharing lunch with pupils and taking the time to engage with this important conversation.
Pictured: (front L-R) Tracey Pace – Head of Service (Catering Business Development); Mr Josan MP; Laura Hadley – Deputy Chief Executive; Allan Shepherd – Executive Principal, Shireland Hall; Dawn Taylor – Head of Service (Catering Operations) and preparing amazing food in the kitchen are Aqwinder Jagpel, Sukhwant Kau and Sabeen Khanalvi
