88% in Southwest back extending free school milk to end of Reception

What if your child’s access to a daily glass of milk at school depended on their birthday? For thousands of Reception pupils across the Southwest, that is exactly what happens, and new polling suggests the public has had enough.

The Southwest leads the country

A new survey has found that 88% of adults in the Southwest support extending free school milk to cover the entire Reception year, the highest level of support recorded across any region in England.

The poll was commissioned by Cool Milk, the UK’s leading school milk supplier, as part of its Fair milk for a fair start campaign.

Under the current Government policy, children lose their entitlement to free school milk on their fifth birthday. Because pupils turn five at different points throughout the academic year, some continue receiving milk while their classmates go without, creating what campaigners describe as a mid-year cliff edge.

What the figures show

Beyond the headline result, the regional polling found:

• 90% agree that preventative measures, such as good nutrition in early childhood, can improve children’s health and dental outcomes and reduce future pressure on NHS services
• 88% agree that a child’s access to healthy food or drink at school should not depend on the month they were born
• 86% agree that a child’s nutritional needs do not suddenly change on their fifth birthday
• 85% agree that free school milk can help support families facing cost-of-living pressures

After a child’s fifth birthday, school milk is only available through a subsidised scheme, with parents covering the remaining cost. Just 13.5% of parents in England currently choose to pay, meaning more than 480,000 children stop receiving school milk once their entitlement ends. Disadvantaged pupils are the least likely to continue.

The cost of the change

Cool Milk says introducing a universal cut-off at the end of Reception would cost £23.75 per pupil.

Nick Harrison, CEO at The Sutton Trust, backed the proposal. “Extending access to free school milk for the whole of the Reception year will stop children effectively being penalised for turning five during the school year. This can help improve nutrition and reduce hunger in schools. Teachers increasingly tell us they see students coming into school hungry due to the high cost of living, and food insecurity has a knock-on effect for children’s ability to learn. This simple measure will also help simplify admin for school staff,” Nick said.

Mike Ferrand, Managing Director at Cool Milk, said the current rules create unnecessary problems for families and schools. “Children’s access to healthy nutrition shouldn’t depend on the month they were born. Ending free milk on a child’s fifth birthday creates an unnecessary cliff-edge in the middle of their first year at school. This is a simple, low-cost and evidence-based change that would support families, reduce burdens on schools and help give every child the fair start they deserve,” Mike said.

Why it matters

Milk in early childhood provides nutrients that support bone growth, dental health and physical development. Good nutrition in the early years has also been linked to improved concentration, cognitive development and classroom engagement.

Cool Milk argues that extending the entitlement would align with the Government’s commitment to giving every child the best start in life, reduce administrative pressure on school staff dealing with staggered cut-off dates, and support British dairy farmers.

Whether the Government acts on the strength of feeling shown in the Southwest remains to be seen. More information on the campaign is available at fairmilkfairstart.com.