THE cost of school dinners at Oxfordshire primary schools is set to creep up.

Oxfordshire County Council has informed schools that from September, the price of school dinners offered to pupils will rise by 10 pence, from £2.20 to £2.30.

In a parent newsletter, Five Acres Primary School near Bicester said the increase is to 'cover the rising costs of ingredients.'

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It also said the rise follows 'a price freeze which has lasted several years.'

The price change applies to schools which use the council's catering service.

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About 80 per cent of council-run primary schools offer hot meals via the authority, but some schools - particularly academies - use alternative providers.

Children in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are automatically eligible for free school meals, while eligibility of older children depends on certain criteria such as being in receipt of benefits.