Stephen Timms MP, East Ham
Published:
8:45 AM February 20, 2021
MP Stephen Timms is delighted Newham Council has extended its Eat for Free scheme
- Credit: Parliament
Newham Council faces extraordinary challenges. After a decade of central government cuts it now faces all the additional costs of the Covid-19 pandemic.
So I was delighted that, last month, Newham Council chose to extend its pioneering Eat for Free scheme, providing free school meals for all primary children.
Ben Levinson, headteacher of Kensington - Primary School of the Year 2020 - told the Work and Pensions Select Committee in Parliament recently that the scheme is “lifechanging for our communities”.
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Funding cuts threaten project in Newham, east London, that feeds thousands of children
A fruit and vegetable stall in Newham. The council sees its free school meals scheme as a valuable bulwark against hunger and poverty. Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images
A fruit and vegetable stall in Newham. The council sees its free school meals scheme as a valuable bulwark against hunger and poverty. Photograph: Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images
Thu 17 Dec 2020 14.12 EST
Last modified on Fri 18 Dec 2020 08.37 EST
A pioneering scheme providing free school meals to all primary school pupils in one of the UK’s poorest boroughs faces the axe as a result of funding cuts, leaving thousands of deprived youngsters at risk of missing out on a nutritious dinner.
Headteacher Ben Levinson with Kensington Primary pupils.
- Credit: Tapscott Learning Trust
A school in Manor Park has earned a national accolade for its “trailblazing curriculum” encompassing academic success, pastoral care and healthy living.
Representatives from Kensington Primary School were presented with their prestigious Pearson national teaching award live on The One Show on BBC One.
A screenshot of Kensington Primary School headteacher Ben Levinson and assistant head Soofia Amin virtually appearing on The One Show on BBC One.
- Credit: BBC
They were named primary school of the year in receiving the gold award for making a difference, after being selected as category winner from thousands of initial nominations.