More children are eating school dinners say new figures

More than three million children are now eating school dinners, as the numbers continue to soar, according to new figures.

An extra 167,000 pupils took up the meals in 2011/12, compared to the year before, data published by the Children's Food Trust reveals.

It is the fourth year running that the numbers of youngsters eating school lunches has risen.

In total, almost half of England's primary school pupils on average (46.3%) had school dinners this year, up 2.2 percentage points on 2010/11.

In England's secondary schools, nearly two-fifths (39.8%) took up the meals on average, also up 2.2 percentage points on the year before.

It means that overall, the equivalent to almost 3.3 million pupils were eating school dinners this year.

PA