Free meals to be rolled out to Year 3 and 4 pupils

Universal Primary Free School Meals are to be rolled out to Years 3 and 4 pupils in Denbighshire, starting from September. 

In December 2021, Welsh Government (WG) announced plans to offer free school meals to all primary school pupils. The phased delivery approach will see all primary pupils offered free school meals by 2024. 

Since September 2022, the Universal Primary Free School Meals (UPFSM) offer in Denbighshire has been successfully rolled out to Reception and Year 1. The offer was rolled out to Year 2 pupils in Denbighshire from April, 2023. The offer will now be rolled out to both years 3 and 4 from the start of term in September. 

As part of the rollout, a number of Denbighshire’s primary schools have seen kitchen and catering upgrades, including full kitchen remodels and increased storage, with the addition of new walk-in fridge and freezers. 

New cooking equipment has also been installed to help increase cooking capacity and many primary schools within the county are also having work done to their dining halls, helping to increase dining capacity. 

Councillor Gill German, Deputy Leader and Lead member for Education, Children and Families said: “I am a huge supporter of the introduction of Universal Free School Meals for primary age pupils in Wales and it is great to see that our rollout in Denbighshire is progressing so well.

"Every child in Reception, year 1 and year 2 in Denbighshire is now part of the offer, and I am delighted to see that we will be extending this to year 3 and year 4 pupils from September.”

* Further information is available at: www.denbighshire.gov.uk/education