Tower Hamlets is taking decisive action to enhance its free school meals programme, ensuring that every child receives nutritious meals in a positive environment. The initiative follows a scrutiny report that identified key areas for improvement, including the reporting system, community engagement, training and support, data sharing and oversight, and enhanced support for vulnerable communities.
The Tower Hamlets Council Cabinet convened on Wednesday, 26 November 2025, to discuss and approve the Free School Meals Action Plan, a comprehensive strategy designed to improve the quality, uptake, and overall experience of free school meals in the borough. The plan addresses recommendations from the Children and Education Scrutiny Sub-Committee, aiming for every child to receive a nutritious meal that promotes healthy eating habits. The timeline for implementing key actions includes developing the Food Accountability Policy and sharing enhanced Conditions of Grant with schools by December 2025. Independent consultants will also undertake annual FSM evaluation surveys for both primary and secondary schools, starting February 2026 and annually thereafter. Annual reports will be presented to the School Food Improvement Group and Head Teacher consultative meetings annually from the spring term. Schools are also expected to review water provision across their site(s) by January 2026, and a pre-order service will be piloted in 6-8 primary schools by April 2026, with review and sharing of best practice by July 2026 for larger scale roll-out in September 2026.
Key components of the action plan include:
- Introducing a Tower Hamlets School Food Accountability Policy: This policy aims to embed a continuous cycle of school food improvement, maintain high standards, and promote meal take-up. Success will be measured by several metrics, including the designation of a senior lead teacher/governor responsible for school food, publication of the School Food Policy on the school website, regular checks on menu compliance and food service quality, adherence to the Department of Education checklists for school food, and compliance with the LBTH Dessert Policy.
- Providing Dedicated School Food Funding: The council commits to ensuring compliance and continuous improvement through dedicated funding. Approximately £70,000 will be allocated to independent catering consultancy, jointly funded by Contract Catering Services (£30k) and UFSM overhead cost (£40k). This funding will support independent evaluation of both primary and secondary schools' FSM programs. The evaluation will include surveys and site visits to gather data on uptake, compliance, portion sizes, sales, and feedback from students and headteachers.
- Mobilising Political Leadership: Political leaders will champion school food and drive borough-wide commitments.
- Scaling up the distribution of take-home hampers: This will support pupils observing Ramadan who are unable to access school meals.
- Reviewing drinking water access: The council will review how drinking water is accessed in schools and share best practices.
Councillor Kamrul Hussain noted that the action plan will ensure the food provided to schools is not only nutritious but also tasty and eatable. He also noted that schools and caterers need to take their parts to ensure every meal is healthy.
While the council has made significant investments in free school meals, Mayor Lutfur Rahman expressed concern about the relatively low take-up rate, despite the availability of nutritious meals. He tasked officers with finding ways to increase take-up to 85% or higher. Strategies to increase take-up include schools outlining actions taken to monitor the quality of school meals and ensure eligible FSM pupils are taking up their free meal, particularly in secondary schools. The council will also facilitate an annual School Meals Consultation Day with Tower Hamlets Youth Council. Independent Consultants will engage with pupils whilst on Secondary School site visits to gain valuable insights into what pupils like, dislike and want introduced to their meals service, and schools will carry out bi-annual student surveys in conjunction with their catering provider regarding their school meal service and the quality of the food offer.
We're providing something for free,
said Mayor Rahman, We're providing a nutritious hot meal a day for our children, both in primary and secondary school. Why the take-up is still so low?
Councillor Sabina Akhtar highlighted the importance of ensuring quality in free school meals, noting that the new Tower Hamlets School Food Accountability Policy will hold schools and caterers to account. The council will ensure accountability through a new Tower Hamlets School Food Accountability Policy with enhanced Conditions of Grant that all schools will need to sign up to. An Annual Certificate Statement will be completed each year by schools, with responses compiled in published annual reports detailing school food compliance and actions/activities to ensure continuous improvement and support for eligible FSM pupils. These reports will be shared at Head Teacher Consultative meetings to ensure transparency and engagement from schools to improve the broader food environment and uphold borough standards.
The Cabinet approved the Free School Meals Action Plan, signalling a renewed commitment to addressing food insecurity and promoting healthy eating among the borough's young people. The council will now focus on implementing the plan's key actions, monitoring progress, and working with schools to improve the free school meals programme further.
The council's efforts to improve free school meals are part of a broader strategy to support vulnerable residents. The council has also launched a dedicated drug squad and is working to build more affordable homes in the borough. These initiatives are all aimed at creating a healthier and more supportive community for all residents.
