Procure In The News
How Do We Stem The Bleed of a Multi Million Pound Loss-making Trend in our Schools?
Featured in: The Educator
Synopsis: In this article for The Educator, Procure explores the growing financial crisis in school meals, as councils step back from in-house catering, providers exit the market and schools are left subsidising an unsustainable system. Using sector data and real-world examples, it highlights how chronic under-funding of free school meals is placing increasing pressure on school budgets.
It builds on insights from Seb Godwin’s work at Procure Education, helping schools strengthen procurement decisions, reduce waste, and secure better long-term value.
When Schools Go Into Huge Debt Just So Our Children Can Receive a Hot Meal, Something Is Deeply Wrong
Featured in: The Educator
Synopsis: The Educator recently explored the growing crisis in school meal provision, revealing how rising food, energy and staffing costs are forcing schools into debt just to provide children with a hot meal. With funding no longer covering the true cost of catering, schools are increasingly subsidising meals from already stretched budgets.
It follows our co-founder Seb Godwin’s insights on how Procure Education is helping schools take control of procurement, cut unnecessary costs, and get better value from contracts.
Cooking the Books: Why do We Expect Caterers to Manage Our School’ Supply Chain Finances?
Featured in: The Educator
Synopsis: The Educator Magazine recently featured our co-founder Seb Godwin, discussing why he set up Procure and how we’re fixing the flaws in school procurement. With rising costs and tighter budgets, too many schools end up paying more for less.
It follows our Cooking the Books piece, where we asked the question: why are schools expecting catering teams to manage supply chain finances? We shared practical tips on how schools can take control and streamline procurement to get better value.
Holiday Hunger – Time for Action on School Holiday Provision
Featured in: The Educator
Synopsis: As the summer holidays approach, the conversations in Westminster, school staffrooms and council chambers once again turn to the pressing issue of holiday hunger. While there’s clearly widespread recognition of the problem, real progress remains painfully slow.
Seb Godwin, co-founder of Procure Education, argues that unless encouraging developments to ensure children don’t slip through the net during term time are matched by a commitment to end holiday hunger, the repercussions will be felt in the classroom come September.
Feeding the Forgotten Children – Why the Free School Meals Announcement Is a Good Start
Featured in: The Educator
Synopsis: The announcement by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer that all children in families who get Universal Credit in England will receive free school meals is a monumental step forward – and it deserves recognition as a policy response that begins to match the scale of the issue. For those of us in education and procurement who’ve witnessed the effects of food insecurity firsthand, it’s a relief.
But there’s still a long way to go, says Seb Godwin of Procure Education, and more needs to be done to improve awareness, build upon improving the infrastructure, and remove the stigma associated with free school meals.