RURAL primary schools in South Lakeland may soon have to raid teaching budgets and sacrifice resources after the Government announced a support grant that helps fund free school meals is to be cut. Schools that are to lose the grant include Ambleside CofE Primary School; Goodly Dale Primary School, Windermere; Coniston CofE Primary School; Allithwaite CofE Primary School; Cartmel CofE Primary School; Bentham Community Primary School; Caton Community Primary School and Caton St Paul’s CofE Primary School. One school that is facing hardship with the loss of the grant is Grayrigg Church of England Primary School, near Kendal, and headteacher Kirsty Cooper insists the move will be bad news for her school. Mark Squires, head at Selside Church of England Primary School, said his school has had to spend an additional 7,000 annually on staff since obligatory free school meals were introduced in September 2014 before then they got by with two workers during lunch times. Unless the government continues to support the provision of free school meals in these schools, their ability to provide excellent teaching will be jeopardised as they have to use their other budgets to provide meals. Goodly Dale Primary School, Windermere; Lindal and Marton Primary School; Croftlands Infant School; Brough Primary School; Coniston CofE Primary School; Allithwaite CofE Primary School; Cartmel CofE Primary School; Broughton CofE School; St Cuthbert’s Catholic School, Windermere; Beetham CofE Primary School, St Oswald’s CofE Primary School, Burneside; Crosby Ravensworth CofE School; Crosscrake CofE Primary School; Grasmere CofE Primary School; Grayrigg CofE School; Selside Endowed CofE Primary; Leven Valley CofE Primary School, Backbarrow; Church Walk CofE Primary School, Ulverston; Warcop CofE Primary School; Ambleside CofE Primary School; Heversham St Peter’s CofE Primary School; Ireleth St Peter’s CofE. Bentham; Community Primary School Thornton in Craven Community; Primary School Horton-in-Ribblesdale CofE. Nether Kellet Community Primary School; Caton Community Primary School; Warton Archbishop Hutton Primary School; Silverdale St John’s CofE; Melling St Wilfrid CofE Primary School; Leck St Peter’s CofE Primary School; Hornby St Margaret’s CofE Primary School; Caton St Paul’s CofE Primary School; Arkholme CofE Primary School; Carnforth Christ Church CofE; Over Kellet Wilson’s Endowed CofE Primary School; Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Carnforth.