Schools across the Burnham-On-Sea area are this week serving up thousands of free daily infant school meals for the first time after new government legislation came into force.
Somerset County Council is working closely with the schools to ensure they are fully compliant with the new legislation and able to provide free nutritional school meals to all children in reception, year 1 and 2.
Only 30 per cent of schools across Somerset had kitchens already in place so a major programme of investment for schools by the Department for Education and Somerset County Council has taken place over the last year.
Frances Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at Somerset County Council, said: “We are delighted to have met the Government’s requirement that all schools in Somerset can serve free nutritional infant school meals from this September.”
“The County Council and schools invested over £750,000 to increase the capacity of a number of production kitchens and are creating eight new kitchens. We will also be using local and regional suppliers and distributors as much as possible, which is good news for the local economy.”
If parents have any queries they must speak to the child’s school or call the county council’s helpline on 0845 345 9122.
