Every States primary school in Jersey is now offering pupils a hot meal at lunchtime.

The government's mission to give all primary school-age children a daily, warm and nutritious meal has now been completed, with Trinity and La Moye schools coming on board in the last few days.

Meals cost parents and carers £2.50 a day and are free for some families on low incomes. 

£1.6 million has been invested in making it possible for every primary to be able to serve the lunches.

The programme started as a pilot project at five schools in 2019- in partnership with local charity Caring Cooks - with the aim of supporting parents struggling to afford healthy food for their little ones.

Springfield, Grands Vaux and Plat Douet then joined the scheme from the start of the 2023 school year. 

The target was to get all government primary schools involved by September 2024. There was a slight delay, but all pupils now have access to the hot meals. 

The programme now involves two suppliers; Caring Cooks, based in Jersey, and Apetito who are based in the UK.

Education Minister Deputy Rob Ward says pupils and parents are benefitting: 

"The impact is enormous. It's designed to support parents who may struggle to provide packed lunches that meet nutritional guidelines and support children's health and wellbeing.

"Also, it offers a forum for children to simply sit down and eat a hot meal together at lunchtime, which I think is just such an important thing for their development, their socialisation, their wellbeing, and will enable them to have a great afternoon at school."