The cost of school meals in Merthyr Tydfil will continue to be frozen next year. The council’s cabinet approved a price freeze from September 2022 at a meeting on Wednesday, July 6.
The price of school meals is usually set in April or September each year and it was most recently increased in April 2019 by 20p to £2.30 in primary schools and £2.70 in secondary schools. The report said the council did not consider an increase in 2020-21 due to the coronavirus pandemic and the interruption to the service delivery.
Prices were held due to the impact that had been seen post-pandemic with reduced demand and take-up of meals. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals has also increased significantly since the pandemic, from 23.3% in 2020 to 30.5% in 2022 including those with protected free school meal status, the report said.
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In the summer and autumn terms, average daily meal uptake in primary schools was 36.9% and 40.7% of all pupils respectively before increasing to 43.1% in the spring term, which compares to 44.7% pre-pandemic. The report said the recovery of meal uptake in secondary schools has been even more challenging due to the significant impact of the reduced menu and the requirement to pre-order on the number of meals served.
The impact of class closures due to Covid was also more pronounced in secondary schools especially during the summer term, the report said. It added that all secondary schools returned to a full menu without the need for pre-ordering during the autumn term in 2021 and as a result, meal uptake has increased significantly.
The report said further increases are expected following changes to the school menu in April 2022 across both primary and secondary schools. A survey is planned of the menu and service offer with all schools early in the autumn term to feed in to other changes that may help to increase meal uptake to meet and exceed pre-pandemic levels, the report said.
During the financial year, income from meal sales was below budget overall by £60,000 but similar reductions in food costs ensured the overall school meals budget balanced for the year without needing further hardship grant money, the report added. The report said unit food costs for school meals has remained steady in 2021-22 compared to pre-pandemic levels and the current procurement arrangements for food and drink have been extended until August 2023 due to current uncertainty in the market.
It said there is the risk of price increases of food products during the remaining 14 months of the current arrangements and some increases to prices have been seen but added these are not yet having a significant impact to food costs within the school meals budget and this will be monitored and reviewed as part of the 2023-24 budget setting. The report said an increase in school meal prices now could result in a reduction to meal sales and would have an “adverse impact” on the recovery of meal uptake and income levels.
It said a period of stability is needed to provide opportunity for school meal sales to recover to pre-pandemic levels and to address any ongoing impacts to demand for school meals following the pandemic. This is why the proposal is to keep prices at their current levels during this period of uncertainty with a further review to be done as part of budget setting for financial year 2023-24.
Of the 18 councils across Wales responding to the school meals prices survey, 10 have frozen prices for 2022-23 and one has reduced prices, the report said. The report also mentioned universal free school meals for primary pupils which is being rolled-out across Wales on a phased approach from September 2022 with all primary school meals being free by September 2024.
It said any increase in prices to primary school meals will need to be carefully managed during this period of phased roll-out of the free school meals and will “need sound evidence based on unit food cost pressures and the overall requirement to recover budgeted meal sales income.” Councillor David Hughes encouraged parents to take up the offer of free school meals as the scheme is rolled out.
He said he’s noticed food bank collections slowing down because of the cost of living crisis and said children learn better on a full stomach. Councillor Andrew Barry said it is a “great solution” to what they are seeing out there at the moment and that it is an “essential move” by the council.
Councillor Geraint Thomas said every child should be entitled to a good meal.
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