Free school meals and child poverty

This week marks the start of the half term school holidays. However for many families the most pressing issue this half term won't just be keeping their children entertained, it will be keeping them full. To qualify for free school meals in England a household can earn a maximum of £7,400 a year. This compares to Northern Ireland where the threshold is £14,000, whereas in Scotland free school meals are now being offered to all primary school children. Following comments made by Jamie Oliver earlier this month on Today, Martha Kearney speaks to Dr Nick Capstick, a headteacher at Drove Primary School in Wiltshire, and Fran Etherington who helps run the Old Fire Station, a charity and community hub in Leeds. They discuss what can be done to address child food insecurity, and the role that schools can play in tackling it. Image :Ben Birchall Credit :PA Location :United Kingdom Copyright PA Media