Almost half of city council-controlled infant and primary schools are not yet ready to provide free meals to pupils – as the Government’s national scheme is revealed to be at risk of failure.
Details revealed in a Freedom of Information request show that 74 maintained schools across Birmingham need investment to improve or expand kitchens and dining areas, while 101 schools said they had adequate facilities or did not respond to the request.
From September, every child in reception, year one and year two in state-funded schools will receive a free hot lunch, in a government scheme which aims to improve academic achievement and save families money.
The average family is said to spend £437 per child on lunches each year.
It emerged this week that the scheme has been given a “red” rating in an official Whitehall risk assessment, indicating that there was a danger of the policy failing.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg defended the policy but failed to deny that it had been rated red, insisting that the plan will be a “crowning achievement” despite the reports of serious official concerns.
He said: “It is quite normal in Whitehall for people to constantly review the state of readiness of a policy. But let’s be really clear, it is mid-May, this is going to happen in September.
“It will happen in September, it is fully funded, we have even gone further than that, we have legislated for it to make sure it is really there to stay.”
Across the West Midlands councils are at different stages of planning to provide hot meals to youngsters.
Birmingham City Council is set to receive £2,267,245 from central government to fund this work – and says that the improvements will be carried out within budget.
A spokesman for Birmingham City Council said: “We have a plan to ensure the 74 remaining primary schools have any required works complete in time for the new school year in September, to ensure they can provide a nutritious meal to children.
“This work could be as simple as extra tables and chairs or a cooker or hob.”
In response to the FOI request, Wolverhampton City Council said it was confident that “all schools will be able to meet demand with support in some circumstances from other school sites and a reorganised lunch time table if necessary”.
Sandwell Council said it was planning to conduct an audit to find out which schools needed support.
Their response read: “The authority is unable to quantify the estimated cost of ensuring infant/primary school kitchens at maintained schools will be adequately prepared to meet the requirement to provide all Foundation and Key Stage 1 pupils with free school meals this autumn. An audit has been commissioned for all qualifying schools to determine how the authority can allocate the capital funding it has received.”
A Department for Education spokeswoman would not comment on the leaked risk assessment but said: “The overwhelming majority of schools are already on track to deliver this policy in September and we are confident the policy will be delivered on time and on budget.
“Universal free school meals have already been shown to work in the pilot schemes run by the Department for Education and Department of Health in 2009. Indeed, schools have had longer to prepare for the introduction of universal free school meals this September than schools in those pilot areas had in 2009.
“Schools are receiving a huge amount of support to provide free school meals. We are providing £150 million to improve kitchens and dining facilities, as well as an additional £22.5 million specifically to help smaller schools to provide these meals.”
The 74 Birmingham schools not yet ready to provide free schools meals:
Alston Primary School
Anderton Park Primary School
Audley Primary School
Birches Green Infant School
Boldmere Infant School and Nursery
Bordesley Green Primary School
Bordesley Village Primary School
Bournville Infant School
Broadmeadow Infant & Nursery School
Brookfields Primary School
Calshot Primary School
Canterbury Cross Primary School
Chad Vale Primary School
Chandos Primary School
Cherry Orchard Primary School
Clifton Primary School
Cofton Primary
Colmers Farm Infant School
Colmore Infant and Nursery School
Cotteridge Junior and Infant School
Cottesbrooke Infant School
Firs Primary School
Gilbertstone Primary School
Gossey Lane Junior, Infant and Nursery School
Green Meadow Primary School
Greet Primary School
Gunter Primary School
Hall Green Infant School
Harborne Primary School
Hillstone Primary School
Hodge Hill Primary School
Holland House Infant School and Nursery
Hollyfield Primary School
Hollywood Primary School
Jervoise School
Kings Heath Primary School
Kings Norton Primary School
Kingsthorne School
Marlborough Infants School
Marsh Hill Primary School
Minworth Junior and Infant
Moor Hall Primary School
Nelson Primary School
New Hall Primary and Children’s Centre
New Oscott Primary School
Paganel Primary School
Paget Primary School
Park Hill Primary School
Perry Beeches Infant School
Princethorpe Infant School
Rednal Hill Infant School
Regents Park Community Primary School
Severne Primary School
Sladefield Infants School
Somerville Primary School
Stanville Primary School
Stechford Primary School
Stirchley Community School
Sundridge Primary School
The Meadows Primary School
The Oval Primary School
Thornton Primary School
Walmley Infant School
Ward End Primary School
Welford Primary School
West Heath Primary School
Whitehouse Common Primary School
Wilkes Green Infant School
Woodcock Hill Primary School
Woodthorpe Junior and Infant School
Wychall Primary School
Wyndcliffe Primary School
Yardley Primary School
Yenton Primary School