School meals research project

The Government introduced new statutory nutritional standards for school lunches in April 2001 (The Education (Nutritional Standards for School Lunches) (England) Regulations 2000).

These are based on Government advice on healthy eating - the Balance of Good Health.

The standards prescribe the types of foods that should be available from the four main food groups (starchy foods, vegetables & fruit, milk & dairy foods and meat, fish & alternatives) along with the frequency with which they should be served.

The guidance on implementing the new standards and broader guidance on good practice in school catering are available from the link at the foot of this page.

It is the responsibility of the local education authority or, where a budgetary element for school meals has been delegated to them, a school's governing body to ensure that food available at lunchtime meets with the Government's minimum nutritional standards.

The research aimed to assess compliance with the statutory standards and the associated guidance, to assess whether the food consumed by children meets nutritional guidelines and to gather other relevant background information.

The fieldwork was carried out between October and November 2003, and the main aim of the study fell into three parts:

Part 1

• To assess whether the food provided by the school or caterer meets the statutory Nutritional Standards, set out in the regulations and associated guidance, for all children throughout the service period.

Part 2

• To assess whether the food provided meets the Expert Working Group’s Nutritional Guidelines for School Meals

Part 3

• To identify the food consumption and nutrient intakes of the secondary school children from school meals compared to the guidelines set out in the Expert Working Group's report.

The survey will also provide information about:

• School meal uptake (free and paid-for), at school level.
• The nature of the contract with the school or caterer (if applicable).
• Additional standards for school lunches set by the Local Education Authority (LEA) and the nature of monitoring by the LEA.
• Other relevant contextual information. e.g. price, individual schools' food policies, the eating environment, time allowed for eating, marketing of school meals and the availability of food from other sources.

The results show that most schools are meeting nutritional standards and progress is being made to improve the choice and nutritional quality of food.

A full report of the results has been published and can be accessed from the link at the foot of this page

For further details about the research please contact:
Michele Weatherburn
Schools Research Team
Analytical Services
Department for Education & Skills
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT

Tel: 020 7925 5953
Email: michele.weatherburn@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

Or:
Mark Bush
Nutrition Division
Food Standards Agency
Rm 801C
Aviation House
125 Kingsway
London
WC2B 6NH

Tel. 020 7276 8927,
Fax 020 7276 8905
Email: Mark.Bush@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk