Wandsworth Council Expands Free School Meals
Families eligible for Access for All programme now qualify
School pupils standing in line getting their school meal. Picture: Wandsworth Council
August 7, 2025
Hundreds of additional secondary school pupils in Wandsworth are set to receive free school meals from September 2025, following a major expansion of the borough’s eligibility criteria. The initiative, announced by Wandsworth Council this week, will extend free meals to all children in secondary schools who qualify under the council’s Access for All programme—broadening the previous threshold, which limited eligibility to families earning under £7,400 annually.
The council says the move will ease financial pressure on families and improve pupils’ wellbeing and focus in the classroom by ensuring access to a nutritious daily meal. Parents have responded positively, with one describing the change as “reassuring” and “a real, practical help.”
The expansion is expected to save families up to £500 per child each year. It follows other recent measures aimed at supporting low-income households, including the extension of the School Uniform Support Scheme and a doubling of the borough’s free breakfast club provision in partnership with Magic Breakfast.
However, the council has not disclosed how many children will benefit from the expanded scheme or what the overall cost will be. The initiative is being funded through Wandsworth’s Access for All Fund, and the council has stated that it will not result in any increase to Council Tax.
Judi Gasser, Cabinet Member for Children, said the expansion was “an important step in making sure every child has the support they need to thrive,” adding that “no child should be excluded from the benefits because they’re going hungry.”
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