Eating well at school plays an important role in children’s health, wellbeing and ability to learn. That’s why the government has updated the School Food Standards for the first time in over a decade, with a focus on making meals supports the wider rollout of free breakfast clubs in schools, with over 680,000 children now able to access a free club.
How will schools be held accountable?
To give parents greater confidence in school meals, schools will be expected to publish their food policies and menus online, as well as nominate a school food governor.
And to help schools implement the new standards, the government will provide training, rewith the Food Standards Agency on an approach to monitoring school food, with more details in the coming months
When will the changes take place?
Some schools may begin making changes straight away, but they will not be in force until September 2027.
There will be a few phased changes on specific foods for secondaries – such as cheese, pulses and drinks – to give schools enough time to make them a success.
How do these changes support families?
The updated standards are part of wider efforts to improve children’s health. This includes the expansion of free school meals to <a >
