Bracknell Forest Council was awarded £282,479 by the Government to carry out the scheme for Key Stage One pupils across the borough, plus an additional £58,011 for its voluntary aided schools.

The council estimates the extra annual cost of providing free meals to four-seven year olds will be £269,323.

Eight local authority schools and one voluntary aided school had to have kitchens fitted to ensure the scheme was delivered.

However, youngsters at Crown Wood School have enjoyed the daily cooked lunches, according to teachers at the Opladen Way school.

Sarah Pearson, one of the reception teachers at the school, said: “We have had a really high response to the free school meals and the children have really enjoyed the selection and what is on offer.

“They also get to choose their own desserts which is something that has also proved very popular!” However, Wokingham Borough Council had to fork out more than £300,000 to ensure its children received the free hot school meals.

The scheme is costing the borough £782,000 and while the Government provided a £480,000 grant for the scheme, the council has had to stump up the extra £302,000 by stretching its education budget. Cllr Charlotte Haitham Taylor, the executive member for children’s services, said the council had “no choice” but to find the extra cash.

She added: “We have no choice but to find the money.

“We had to support the scheme, and we have done it. It has been very difficult since I joined the council.

“Every single year the budget has been tough because we have made compromises.

“The money comes from capital allocations to the council and from the Dedicated Schools Grant.

“As with every year, we’ve worked with schools to prioritise resources against critical projects.

“This is a fantastic outcome and very much a team effort. The project was challenging from the start because of low funding and time constraints.

“We started from a very difficult position with 14 schools without a kitchen facility, and from a severe funding shortage.

“Wokingham Borough Council has worked with schools, the school meals service provider Caterlink, and our other suppliers to make this a success for our pupils across the borough.” Improvements to existing school meal kitchens in the borough to produce and serve additional meals have cost £652,000, as well as £130,000 for essentials such as cooking utensils, trays and cutlery.