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Cllr Terry Stacy |
Six secret schools are first to get a taste of free meals
‘No excuses!’ Plans to pilot scheme imposed on council by Labour
SIX schools will be chosen to pilot a plan to give free school meals to every child in Islington’s primary schools.
But the names of the schools will be kept secret until the borough’s parents have decided where they want to send their children in September.
Education chief Councillor Paula Belford put forward proposals for the September trial at the Town Hall’s executive meeting last Thursday.
She said the scheme, which was imposed on the ruling council when opposition Labour councillors hijacked this year’s budget meeting, had caused concern that schools would not be able to apply for the correct funding, which is linked to the number of low-income families that apply for free school meals.
Cllr Belford also said there was not enough money to implement the scheme based on Labour’s figures.
“We’ve done a recalculation,” she said. “There’s been a slight change in eligibility and that’s leaving us with a £254,000 shortfall. There are issues around extra transport for schools that use outside caterers. It may look like we’re dragging our feet but we need to be sure we’re doing this properly and that it won’t impact on the funding of the schools.”
Cllr Belford’s stance on the scheme has changed since March, when she told the Tribune the plans were “not right for Islington”.
But at last week’s meeting, she said: “We all want to see kids have free school meals. It’s the right thing to do.”
The DCSF (the Department for Children, Schools and Families) has written to the council offering to help. It has proposed to use last year’s pupil numbers as a basis for working out grants for the next three years.
Council leader Cllr Terry Stacy said: “We can’t underestimate the financial risk to the schools. What Paula outlined is the best way forward. This pilot will be fully evaluated. This will be rolled out to remaining schools as soon as possible.”
But opposition councillors want promises that the will of the council will be followed.
Labour councillor Richard Watts said: “I’m not against the idea of piloting provided that if it’s successful you move as quickly as possible to introducing it everywhere.”
Opposition Labour leader councillor Catherine West said: “We don’t want to get to November and find excuses. We’ll trust you on that pilot but once it’s done we want your assurances that we’ll go ahead with this - that’s what the council wants. I don’t want to find in November there’s not enough money in the budget.”
Rebel Lib Dem councilor Andrew Cornwell added: “The council recommended to roll this out to all schools in one year. We have a very different proposal for six schools here. I put it to the council that given that the council has just put £400,000 into a recession reserve, financial reasons are a pretty flimsy (excuse).” |
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