New school year brings extra support for students and families

Hundreds of additional secondary school children who are eligible for Wandsworth’s Access for All offer will now receive a free school meal every day, taking the cost away from families and supporting pupils’ wellbeing and focus in the classroom.

Local parents have welcomed the expansion. One said: “As a parent, this news is reassuring. Knowing our children will get a healthy meal at school means they go in calmer, and ready to learn, it makes such a difference to the school day.”

Previously, only children whose parents had an income of below £7,400 qualified, but the council is significantly expanding the eligible cohort as children go back to school this September and we’ll be reaching out to eligible families.

This offer builds on our work to ensure nutrition and healthy eating remains a priority and children start their school day ready to learn. Through our ongoing partnership with Magic Breakfast, over 5,200 children are now having breakfast each day. Schools report clear benefits, including improved focus, attendance, and punctuality, as well as reduced financial pressures for families. As a result of the programme’s success, we are now engaging secondary schools to join the council’s scheme expansion in the autumn term. 

The Council has also taken what was already the most generous uniform support policy in the country, and expanded eligibility to include all Access for All children entering Reception and Year 7.

Eligible families were given vouchers of up to £170, providing essential support as children start these key years.

To further level the playing field, the Council has launched the Access for All School Trip Service. By covering transport costs, the service makes it easier for schools to organise trips and ensures all children can access valuable learning experiences beyond the classroom, regardless of family income.

Judi Gasser, Cabinet Member for Children, said: “At Wandsworth, we believe every child deserves the very best start in life. By expanding our free school meal and uniform offer, we’re making a difference for families across our borough."

The Council is also using new data-matching processes to identify children entitled to free school meals who were previously missed. So far, 705 children have been identified, ensuring these children can benefit from a healthy, nutritious meal every day and unlocking an additional £1.25 million in pupil premium funding for schools each year.

Meanwhile, the Apple Schools Programme continues to grow. Since 2022, twenty primary schools have benefitted from world-class technology, teacher training, and creative tools such as Apple’s Everyone Can Create and Everyone Can Code. For the 2025-2026 academic year, six more schools will join the initiative and two SEND resource bases.

Support extends beyond schools, too. This summer, the Council announced a new partnership with Dolly Parton’s charity to gift every child aged under five a free book every month until their fifth birthday. The Imagination Library is designed to nurture early literacy, ignite children’s imaginations and foster a lifelong love of reading in our youngest residents.

Judi added: “These initiatives reflect our continued dedication to ensuring that every child in Wandsworth has the support, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive. We wish all our students, teachers, and families a happy start to the academic year.”

For more information on eligibility for support programmes, visit wandsworth.gov.uk/access-for-all/access-for-all-eligibility/.