The IndependentSchool Food Plan

What’s worked well:

Hundreds of primary schools have continued to use the government funded Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) support service, a consortium jointly led by LACA and the Children’s Food Trust. Schools wanting to increase meal take-up or improve their school food finances have been able to receive help and access a suite of targeted resources and support.

Universal Infant Free School Meals Support

The January 2015 School Census showed that over 85% of infant pupils were taking up a hot, tasty, nutritious meal. With an allocated rate of £2.30 per pupil per meal fixed for 2015-2016, schools are able to budget ahead and take advantage of the improved economies of scale. Parents are seeing the positive impact school meals can have on their child’s eating habits and the value of eating a good, healthy meal with friends at lunchtime. A School Food Plan survey, carried out by Opinium Research in July 2015, explored the views of just over 500 parents of children receiving a free infant school meal. 95 per cent said their child has benefitted from eating a free infant school meal.

Snippets of success:

Haddenham St Mary’s

A small school with 90 pupils, it greeted announcement of the new UIFSM policy as an enormous challenge, albeit a welcome one. The school had no meals service and no kitchen – parents simply had to provide packed lunches for their children. Now, one year on, we see a thriving school kitchen (opened by Raymond Blanc, no less) producing more than 300 tasty meals a day – with 200 meals rushing out at lunchtime to four other schools in the local area. Take-up across the whole school is 100 per cent, even at Key Stage 2. And not only have they done this in a year, they are breaking even and able to invest in wider food educational activities including a vegetable garden, and regular cooking lessons for children and teachers alike.

'What Works Well' visit service

As part of the UIFSM government funded support, Food for Life's 'What Works Well' visit service enabled schools to share learning, practical advice and tips by visiting others who have successfully implemented changes. 92% of schools agreed or strongly agreed that they felt more confident to make changes after visiting a school specifically matched to their needs by Food for Life.

"Nothing could beat the Head teacher’s enthusiasm at the host school for the service his school provides in relation to hot meals and the lunchtime experience. Our Midday Supervisors have considered the practices observed and how they can adapt this for our own setting to improve the lunchtime experience for both staff and children. Teaching and support staff are now also encouraged to join the children for a meal, enhancing opportunities for social time and encouraging better behaviour and table etiquette." Little Gonerby Church of England Infant School, Grantham

School Food Champions Programme

Government funding was provided to a consortium led by the Design and Technology Association to help junior and secondary schools increase take up. The School Food Champions Programme supports secondary school food teacher to become the ‘school food champion’; to work across the school community to create a whole school approach to food and increase take up of school meals. Kathy Dare, School Food Champion at Welland Park Academy, has helped the school increase meal take up by 28.5% compared to the previous year. The student School Food Champion team have played a key role in this success. The student team put forward, and helped implement, a number of ideas including using Year 9 lesson time to create a range of dishes to include on Student Week menus. The positive impact of the programme has given Kathy and the school community the momentum and excitement to continue to promote and develop a whole school approach to food.

“The interest from students has been great – they are really excited about getting involved. The school chef said how much he welcomes the support and discussion that is taking place as he has wanted to develop things for a while.” Kathy Dare, School Food Champion, Welland Park Academy