England has a national school meal programme that currently provides free school meals to all infant pupils in primary schools (children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2). Free meals are also available to older pupils in primary school and secondary schoolchildren whose parents receive certain social security benefits. The Department for Education is the institution responsible for regulating school meals and school food in England. Other entities such as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Health and Social Care contribute to the implementation of the school food policy (e.g., setting wider food health and safety guidance and regulations for food safety). 

Development process

The compulsory Requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 were developed by the Department for Education with the support of the School Food Plan standards panel following a participatory approach that included a public consultation. The standards panel comprised stakeholders from academia, researchers, catering companies, school cooks and nutritionists. The food-based standards were based on the previous nutritional standards. An evaluation of the revised food-based standards with schoolchildren and caterers found very positive results (90% of school cooks and 80% of caterers found the standards easier to understand than the previous ones). The menus tested were found to have a higher composition of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate and fibre, than previous ones. There are planned updates to the standards on guidance for sugar and fibre, which have been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Implementation

Monitoring and Evaluation

Go to the Summary of the Standards

Free school meals are available for all primary schoolchildren (grades 1 to 5) at publicly-funded schools in Scotland. Free school meals remain available for students from grade 6 onwards if their families or the children meet the eligibility criteria to receive them (e.g., families receiving universal credit, income support, child tax credit, etc). School meals are also available to purchase for those students not eligible to receive free school meals.   

• Food and Drink Standards for primary schools 

• Food and Drink Standards for secondary school 

• Nutrient standards for primary school lunches, secondary school analysed lunches and secondary school hostel evening meals 

• Summary of the Food and Drink Standards across the School Day 

The main characteristics of these standards are summarized below: 

Education authorities must also ensure that schools are health-promoting, as set out in the Standards in Scotland's Schools etc. Act 2000. Local authorities, supported by Scotland Excel (a non-governmental organization), are committed to using local and sustainable produce in school catering wherever possible. 

Development process

• Scottish Borders Council. School meals 

• Scottish Borders Council. Sample menu for Nursery/Primary school

• Scottish Borders Council. Sample menu Secondary school (4-week cycle) 

Implementation

Each local authority is under a statutory duty to ensure that the food and drink in their schools comply with the 2020 Regulations. 

Monitoring and Evaluation

Go to the Summary of the Standards

Links

• Nutritional Analysis Manual: https://education.gov.scot/media/jrynk5w0/nutritional-analysis-manual-040921a.pdf 

• Food in schools across Scotland: A self-evaluation resource: https://education.gov.scot/improvement/self-evaluation/food-in-schools-across-scotland-a-self-evaluation-resource/ 

• Better eating, better learning: a new context for school food: https://www.gov.scot/publications/better-eating-better-learning-new-context-school-food/ 

• Parent’s Club: All about school meals: https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/all-about-school-meals 

Northern Ireland has a school meal programme that provides a daily lunch for students from pre-primary to secondary school level. School meals are free for students from low-income families that meet eligibility criteria. Compulsory Nutritional Standards for School Lunches were introduced in 2007, followed by Nutritional Standards for Other Food and Drinks in Schools in 2008 which the Department of Education is seeking to make mandatory in all schools. This would ensure the nutrition standards will apply to all food (such as in vending machines and tuck shops) available in all schools. Both sets of standards were launched as part of the School Food: Top Marks programme, a collaboration between the Department of Education, the Department of Health and the Public Health Agency to ensure that all food and drink provided in schools contributes to improved child and adolescent nutrition.

In 2013, the Departments of Education and Health developed the Food in Schools Policy. This is an overarching policy underpinned by a ‘whole-school approach’ to school food and nutrition education. The policy recognised that all food and drinks provided in the school setting needed to meet the nutrition standards, including food and drink in vending machines, tuck shops, and provided by breakfast clubs and after-school clubs.

A review of the 2007-2008 standards was completed in 2021 but the implementation of the changes has been delayed pending the availability of funding. Until then, the 2007-2008 standards remain in place.

The main characteristics of the 2007-2008 standards for school lunches are summarised below:

Development Process

The development of the current nutritional standards (implemented in 2007), was informed by the completion of a pilot project in 2004 in around 100 schools to examine how best to improve the nutritional standards of school meals. This involved representation from the Department of Education, the Department of Health, catering staff from the five Education and Library Boards (later to merge to form a single Education Authority), participating schools and other relevant health bodies. Evaluation of the pilot project resulted in a number of recommendations on how best to implement nutritional standards in schools.

Following the completion of the evaluation, in 2006, a public consultation was undertaken on new, updated nutritional standards for school meals and extending the scope of the nutritional standards to cover other food provisions in schools. Taking into account the feedback received in this consultation, the Department of Education worked with health and catering professionals to finalise these standards and they came into effect from September 2007. The Food in Schools Policy (2013) was jointly developed by the Departments of Education and Health in partnership with stakeholders such as the Public Health Agency, the Food Standards Agency and the Education Authority. Both departments have continued to work closely with schools, key partner organizations and agencies over several years to improve the nutritional standards of food provided in schools.

In 2021, a working group of health and education experts completed a review of the 2007-2008 nutrition standards for school food to reflect current government guidance on healthy eating (i.e. the Eatwell Guide). The revised (2021) standards include increasing the amount of fruit, vegetables and fibre, and reducing the amount of fat, salt, sugar and processed red meat. The Department of Education plans to roll out these updated standards when there is available funding.

Implementation

The Education Authority in Northern Ireland is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the school meals service in most schools and provides professional support and advice to others when requested and resources permit. Training modules, which also focus on nutrition standards, are available online for all catering staff. The training programme is led by the Education Authority; specialist training, such as on allergen management, is also available.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The monitoring of the implementation of the nutrition standards is outlined in the Food in Schools policy (2013), yet monitoring structures have changed since the policy was published. However, the Education Authority and schools continue to be supported in complying with the standards by the regional Food in Schools Coordinator, a nutritionist jointly funded by the Departments of Education and Health. Resources developed under the School Food: Top Marks programme are also available for this purpose.

Currently, the Education Authority school catering service operates a system of self-monitoring on compliance with the nutritional standards against a checklist. The Education Authority then regularly reports to the Department of Education; this includes highlighting examples of good practices and barriers to implementing the nutritional standards.

The Education Authority has also rolled out standardised menus for all primary schools. These menus are developed in line with nutritional standards and checked for compliance by the regional Food in Schools Coordinator. The menus are accompanied by recipes and portion sizes to ensure consistency.

Go to the Summary of the Standards

Links

• Public Health Agency: Nutritional Standards for School Lunches - A Guide for Implementation (2009)
• Public Health Agency: Nutritional Standards for Other Food and Drinks in Schools - A Guide for Implementation (2009)
• School food: the essential guide – a series of practical guidance booklets for healthier breakfast clubs, healthier vending machines, improving the dining experience, etc.
• Are You Packing a Healthy Lunch? – a leaflet for parents of primary school-age children
• Guidance on Healthy breaks for pre-schoolchildren
  

Development

Implementation

• Use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes. 

• Understand where food comes from. 

• Understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet. 

• Prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques. 

• Understand seasonality, and know where and how various ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed. 

• Understand and apply the principles of nutrition and health. 

• Cook a repertoire of predominantly savoury dishes so that they are able to feed themselves and others a healthy and varied diet. 

• Become competent in a range of cooking techniques e.g., selecting and preparing ingredients; using utensils and electrical equipment; applying heat in different ways; using awareness of taste, texture and smell to decide how to season dishes and combine ingredients; adapting and using their own recipes. 

• Understand the source, seasonality and characteristics of a broad range of ingredients. 

Monitoring and Evaluation

Links

• National curriculum
• Education reform: new national curriculum for schools

Scotland has food and nutrition education embedded within the school curriculum since the provision of both school food and food and health education are under the remit of the Learning Directorate within Education Scotland.

The Scottish school curriculum, known as the Curriculum for Excellence, is divided into eight curriculum areas, one of which is Health and Wellbeing. This strand sets out experiences and outcomes for students over the course of their schooling, e.g., at pre-primary and primary levels, children learn about different food tastes and textures and the importance of having a nutritious diet. This will progress as they get older to learn about sustainability, how to read food labels and different diets for different life stages etc. 

The Curriculum for Excellence Health and Wellbeing experiences and outcomes are mainly delivered through a multi-disciplinary approach in pre-primary and primary school settings, allowing food and health to be taught across a range of subjects e.g., food journeys from farm to plate.  

Food and Health are also taught in specific subjects such as Home Economics in secondary school. In Home Economics classes, children may be taught how to cook, how to purchase food, and how to balance budgets when they are purchasing food. The Health and Wellbeing curriculum aims to provide them with a comprehensive view of food and health in general, and what impact their food choices will have on their health, not just physical, but also mental and social health and how their choices affect the economy.

Development

Implementation

Each local authority is responsible for delivering the Curriculum for Excellence in the schools in their area. Teachers are the main frontline educators.

The main topics addressed in the Health and Wellbeing curriculum include:

• The food experience
  
• Developing healthy choices
  
• Nutritional needs
  
• Keeping safe and hygienic
  
• The journey of food
  
• Food and textile technologies
  

Education Scotland has a food education resources website with materials, information and lesson plans for teachers to access.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The monitoring and evaluation of food and health education in the curriculum is mainly carried out through benchmarks. These have been developed as national standards for each curriculum area at each level, with skills development integrated into the benchmarks e.g. Food and Health benchmarks. School staff monitor and report on the benchmarks throughout the school year.

Alongside the curriculum, Health and Wellbeing has several separate experiences and outcomes that are the responsibility of all staff working with children and young people. Health and Wellbeing responsibilities are divided into different sections that incorporate mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing.

Education Scotland school Inspectors carry out inspections across the school year.  Inspection reports are shared with the schools and made publicly available on the Education Scotland website.

Relevant Links

• Food for Thought Education Fund 2022 - 2023 | What we do | Education Scotland
• Food in schools across Scotland: A self-evaluation resource | Self-evaluation | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot)
• National Improvement Hub | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot)
• Curriculum for Excellence Benchmarks | Learning resources | National Improvement Hub (education.gov.scot)
• What is Curriculum for Excellence? | Curriculum for Excellence | Policy drivers | Policy for Scottish education | Scottish education system | Education Scotland
• Health and wellbeing: Experiences and outcomes (education.gov.scot)
• National Improvement Framework (NIF) - Schools
• Pupil attainment: closing the gap - Schools

In Northern Ireland, nutrition education is integrated across various subjects, mainly in the ‘Personal Development and Mutual Understanding’ learning area for primary school, and in the Home Economics strand of the ‘Learning for Life and Work’ area for secondary school. Nutrition contents are also integrated in Biology for grades 6–8 (for ages 11-14) and 9–10 (ages 15-16).  In addition, food and nutrition are explicitly covered by the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) of Home Economics (ages 15-16), and by the Advanced Level (A level) in Nutrition and Food Science (for ages 17-18). Food and nutrition contents are also integrated in extracurricular activities, such as school gardens, school visits to community vegetable gardens and so on.

Development

The school curriculum (2005/06) was developed by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment, a public body of the Department of Education and provides opportunities for schools to educate students on food nutrition and healthy eating in the subjects where it is included. In the case of the Personal Development and Mutual Understanding area of learning at the primary level and the Learning for Life and Work area of learning at the secondary level, these are statutory elements within the Northern Ireland curriculum, while the “GCSE Home Economics: Food and Nutrition” and the advanced level (A level) in Nutrition and food sciences are elective subjects.

Other actors involved include the Education and Training Inspectorate, the Education Authority and teachers, however, schools are responsible for determining which resources or programmes (e.g.: educational programmes on nutrition from health and education partners or voluntary organizations) to use to support the delivery of the curriculum. The curriculum is reviewed based on needs and resource availability.

Implementation

The Department of Education is primarily responsible for implementing the curriculum. The Curriculum Council and the Education Authority also produce support materials for schools and professional learning for teachers to aid the implementation of the curriculum. Teachers and school leaders are the main front-line educators.

The Home Economics strand of the Learning for Life and Work area aims to equip pupils with the core knowledge, skills and values to help them make healthy lifestyle choices, including food choices. For instance, pupils aged 11-14 explore planning, storing, preparing and cooking a range of meals, and develop practical skills related to the safe, hygienic, healthy and creative use of foods, while in Biology, the same age group learns about a healthy body and mind.

The main relevant topics addressed in “GCSE Home Economics: food and nutrition” include food provenance, food processing and production, macronutrients and micronutrients, national dietary guidelines, and food safety. Students develop practical skills in food preparation, cooking, making healthy food choices, applying food safety guidelines and managing household budgets.

To support schools in implementing the curriculum, the Curriculum Council develops and produces curricular guidance and teaching support materials. These resources are available on the Curriculum Council’s  Wellbeing Hub | CCEA, and address the issues of obesity, over-consumption of junk food and general health. The hub also hosts materials for promoting exercise, healthy eating and healthy lifestyle habits. Some of the main goals include developing skills in planning, preparing and cooking nutritious meals, and exploring ways to achieve a healthy diet.

The nature of food and nutrition extracurricular activities depends on each school as they manage their own budgets. Usually, they entail the setting of pedagogic school gardens, visiting community gardens or local food manufacturing companies, and so on.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The Department of Education, through the Education and Training Inspectorate, is responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the teaching and learning associated with food and nutrition education in the curriculum. Food competencies and achievements are assessed in line with specific evaluations for each subject (e.g. examinations, activities in school, homework, etc.). For instance, the “GCSE Home Economics: food and nutrition” and Nutrition and Food Science A levels include both written examinations and practical assessments (e.g. preparing a meal).