Taking hunger out of the classrooms

At Step Teachers, we’ve always believed that every child deserves the same shot at success, regardless of background, postcode or family income. Education can be the great leveller, but it can’t work its magic if children are hungry, tired or distracted by hardship. That’s why the government’s recent announcement expanding free school meals to every child in a household receiving Universal Credit is not just welcome news. It’s a long-overdue lifeline.

From the start of the 2026 school year, over half a million more children will receive a nutritious, hot meal each school day, something that should be a given, not a privilege. For too long, children from low-income families have slipped through the cracks. Since 2018, the eligibility threshold for free school meals excluded many families whose earnings hovered just above £7,400 per year, a number painfully out of step with the realities of modern living costs.

This policy shift will lift 100,000 children out of poverty, but more importantly, it acknowledges a simple, powerful truth: children can’t learn when they’re hungry. Teachers know this. School leaders know this. We, as a recruitment agency working across hundreds of schools, see it firsthand in the classrooms we support.

We see children who come to school without breakfast, struggling to concentrate, becoming withdrawn or disruptive, not because they don’t want to learn, but because their basic needs aren’t met. And we see the incredible efforts of schools, teachers and support staff to plug these gaps with breakfast clubs, food banks and pastoral care, often without adequate funding.

This expansion isn’t just about food. It’s about dignity. It's about ensuring families on Universal Credit no longer have to choose between heating their homes and feeding their children. It’s about levelling the playing field, not only in the classroom, but in life.

For schools, the benefits are equally significant. Better nourished pupils mean improved focus, behaviour and attainment. For educators, this could ease some of the daily emotional and logistical burdens they shoulder to support struggling pupils. For parents, this means an extra £500 per year in their pockets, potentially freeing up funds for books, clothing or even just peace of mind.

We also welcome the broader commitment from the government to revise School Food Standards and support fresh produce redistribution via schemes like Tackling Food Surplus at the Farm Gate. These initiatives not only improve what’s on the plate but reinforce sustainability and community resilience.

This is not just a policy issue for us, it’s something we feel deeply. Last year, we chose Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) as our sponsored charity, recognising the urgent need to support families facing impossible choices. During our fundraising campaign, we watched a powerful and deeply moving video from CPAGthat hit home just how serious the issue is for children across the UK. It was a sobering reminder that poverty isn’t a headline, it’s a reality. Our staff rallied together and raised over £2,000 to support the charity’s mission to end child poverty. That commitment is something we carry forward every day.

But let’s be clear. This is a starting point, not a finish line. The hope, as voiced by leading organisations like the Sutton Trust and Child Poverty Action Group, is that this signals a long-term commitment to eradicating child poverty and addressing educational inequality. We’ll be watching closely as the Child Poverty Strategy is published later this year.

To read more about the governments action click here.