START DATE AND DURATION: October 2024 - March 2026Despite longstanding efforts to reduce child hunger through Free School Meals, significant gaps remain in our understanding of the broader impacts of Universal FSM (UFSM), particularly for children aged 11 and above. While evidence suggests that UFSM can reduce obesity, improve educational outcomes, and alleviate stigma tied to means-tested systems, most research has focused on primary-aged children and central London boroughs. Moreover, very little is known whether UFSM are a good use of public money (e.g. effectiveness and cost-effectiveness), which is the main aim of this research. In September 2023, Tower Hamlets became the first local authority in England to extend UFSM to all secondary school students, offering a unique opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of this policy in a diverse and socioeconomically challenged area.
This feasibility study will assess whether a full economic evaluation of UFSM in Tower Hamlets secondary schools is viable. We will collect primary and qualitative data from about 40 young people (and their guardians) across Tower Hamlets and a matched control borough. Key measures include health-related quality of life, healthcare use, school attendance, household food insecurity, and food-related spending. We will explore the feasibility of linking self-reported data to NHS records and evaluate resource use from a societal perspective.
If successful, this project will establish whether UFSM can be a cost-effective strategy to reduce health and educational inequalities among adolescents. The findings will support local and national policymakers, including London’s mayoral office, in making evidence-informed decisions on long-term UFSM implementation. Engagement with schools, families, community researchers, and public health stakeholders will ensure the study is grounded in lived experience and that findings are communicated effectively to commissioners and decision-makers to inform future policy scaling and investment.