Securing the Future of School Food in England

In the face of rising ingredient costs, disrupted supply chains, and escalating overhead costs, how can the future of school meals be secured?

We believe the UK Government needs to do more to support school food in England, and the cooks and caterers who provide it. The upcoming white paper response to the National Food Strategy provides an opportunity to build on recent policy initiatives, setting a path towards a more viable future for the industry.

Funding

Currently, schools and caterers receive funding for different school food interventions through a variety of mechanisms, and there is inconsistency in how funding is calculated and distributed. This can lead to confusion and means that how money is spent on food varies from school to school, and area to area. Due to a lack of oversight, some money also ‘leaks’ out of the system.

All schools should receive the funding they need to provide nutritious, enjoyable food to their pupils. The funding should be appropriate to cover food, staff and capital costs, and schools must be accountable for its spending. This funding should be delivered under one simple, transparent and clear mechanism that follows a consistent formula.

The Government should commit in the National Food Strategy white paper to providing such a mechanism, giving schools and caterers consistency and clarity on allocations and associated condition of grants for all school food interventions. This commitment should be linked to the introduction of a mandatory accreditation scheme, framed around a ‘whole school approach’.

Accreditation

School food standards are not always being met in schools, which means that some children are not getting the nutritious food that they need. Beyond Food for Life Served Here, there is not currently an effective framework in place for schools and caterers to provide accountability and to ensure quality of provision.

To address this, and broader issues related to food in schools, schools and their catering teams should be supported to report and be independently inspected, with input from pupils, to ensure that school food is nutritious, enjoyable, is part of a healthy school environment and provides good value for money. Schools working with the Food for Life School Award provide the template for such an approach.

Building on Food for Life’s example, the Government should develop a school food accreditation scheme that promotes a ‘whole school approach’, including reporting on and verification of school food standards. This would provide schools and caterers with a framework for progress towards excellence, working from the baseline provided by the mandatory reporting outlined in the recent Levelling Up White Paper.

Encourage uptake

Currently, uptake of school meals is variable, affected by quality, accessibility and image. Increasing uptake of both free and paid for school meals, alongside reforms to school food funding mechanisms, will lead to a more economically efficient system, supporting caterers to invest in the future. It will ensure more children access more nutritious food, reduce stigma, and boost the benefits of a ‘whole school approach’.

In support of this ambition, all children should be automatically enrolled for and take up school meals at every opportunity and see it as the best option available to them. Children should be central in developing the food offer as part of their contribution to ensuring their school is a healthy environment, building on the example of pupil engagement set by Food for Life.

The Government should implement auto-enrolment for free school meals to allow for registration without stigma and to ensure all those eligible can take up their entitlement to a school meal. Entitlement should also be expanded, as recommended by the National Food Strategy.

Stepping up

In the face of multiple challenges, there are no silver bullet solutions. Food for Life is working with partners such as Bite Back 2030, School Food Matters, Food Foundation, Chefs in Schools, and the Children’s Food Campaign, to call for the implementation of the National Food Strategy and a comprehensive reform of school food in England. The above recommendations form a central part of that work.

We believe that children deserve better. The vital work performed by schools, cooks and caterers in the Food for Life network and beyond should be recognised and supported by government. There are tough times ahead for school food in England, but there are also solutions that can be implemented now. The Government’s white paper response is expected next month – we will be giving it the scrutiny it deserves.

Rob Percival, Soil Association's Head of Policy - Food and Health.

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