The National Education Union (NEU) welcomed new research today showing that free school meals improve reading skills and obesity rates.

NEU general secretary Daniel Kebede said the gains for children’s health and ability to learn are “immeasurable” as Labour faced increasing pressure to back a national free meals rollout for primary schools in England.

The study by the Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, found levels of obesity were reduced by 7 per cent to 11 per cent among reception children in the four London boroughs that have already adopted the policy.

There was also an associated improvement in reading, with the impact said to be equivalent to “approximately two weeks’ additional progress in school” by the age of 11.

Researchers also found that making free school meals universal increased their take-up by those who had already been entitled to them by 8 per cent, appearing to result in one in three children eating a school lunch for the first time.

Labour faces calls to commit to an expansion of free school meals from a series of MPs including Labour chair of the work and pensions select committee Stephen Timms, Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson and Sharon Hodgson, chair of the all-party group on school food.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has rolled out free school meals across the capital until next year. Primary school children in Wales and Scotland are due to receive free school meals from this year.

Mr Kebede said: “Every child should have a healthy school dinner, every day — it’s that simple.

“Sadiq Khan’s extension to free school meals for primary school children is a good step forward.

“The benefits for the health and ability for children to learn are immeasurable. 

“Access to healthy food should not be a postcode lottery — no child should be in school too hungry to learn.  

“That’s why we are urging the government to step up and follow the example of Sadiq Khan. 

“The Westminster government needs to rethink what we are prioritising as a nation. If Scotland, Wales and London can do it — why can’t the rest of England?”