It is a little over a century since Bradford education pioneer Margaret McMillan began the great British institution of school dinners.

Playfully mocked and derided in childhood verse school dinners may be, but their institution was a revolutionary concept that began on October 28, 1907, when Scotch broth was served up to 750 pupils at Green Lane Primary School in Manningham.

Fast forward 104 years and the school meals process should be a smooth-running operation – those who can, pay, and those whose households are not bringing in enough money are given free meals.

It should be simple, but it seems that children are falling through the net, and the result is an unwelcome return to the days which Margaret McMillan sought to banish, when children came to school hungry and with no means to pay for food.

There is a growing issue of children whose families are not registered for free school meals turning up at school with no money to pay for food – and going hungry.

It remains to be seen whether this is because their families are just not qualifying for free meals but do not have the cash to pay for daily food, whether parents are just not prioritising, or whether some households wrongly feel there is a stigma attached to free meals and are not applying for them.

But it is a situation that cannot be allowed to continue. Bradford Council, after having the situation flagged-up to them by several concerned heads, is now trying to find the extent of the problem at all the district’s schools.

Whatever the reasons, families must be shown that the health of their children is paramount and they must be given whatever help they need to ensure that their children do not go hungry.