‘We’re delivering largest overhaul of college meals in a technology’
New Education Secretary Lucy Powell writes for The Mirror on the ‘biggest overhaul of school food in a generation – boosting standards so children get tasty, nutritious food throughout the school day’
Education Secretary Lucy Powell(Image: ANDY RAIN/EPA/Shutterstock)
Over three million children – one in three in every class – now qualify to get free school meals as of the start of this school year.
And what a milestone. It’s no miracle cure for household finances, but when it’s not always obvious where the money’s going to come from to top up your kid’s dinner card each week, I know just how important this expansion has been in taking the edge off.
So, if families have not signed up to get support, I urge them to please check whether they are eligible, so they are not missing out. Because school food matters more than ever. Hundreds of thousands more children now getting their dinner for free at school every day.
That presents a huge opportunity. As more children have a school lunch, we have a chance to make those meals healthier, tastier and more appealing than ever before.
A decent breakfast and a healthy lunch can make a real difference to how children feel, how they learn and how much they are able to enjoy their day.
We all remember Jamie Oliver’s school dinners campaign of the early noughties, which forced the country to confront what children were eating – turkey twizzlers and other unhealthy food dressed up as a meal.
We’ve come a long way since then, but school food standards have drifted. They’ve not been updated in over a decade and it’s time that changed.
Today we are delivering the biggest overhaul of school food in a generation – boosting standards so children get tasty, nutritious food throughout the school day. And that’s not just for kids getting free school meals. It’s for everyone.
For busy mums and dads, it means a new chance to get the brood off the packed lunches and on to school dinners, knowing they’ll be getting a tasty, healthy, nutritious meal. One less thing to worry about in the morning rush, and the reassurance that your child is being well fed during the school day.
We’ve developed these reforms by working closely with children, parents and schools, testing our new approach and learning from what works in practice. And what we’ve heard consistently is that families want food that is both healthy and appealing, while schools need changes that are practical to deliver.
That means more fruit and vegetables, more fibre, and more balanced meals that help children stay fuller, focused and ready to learn. It also means working with schools to make sure kids can still enjoy those family favourites like sausage and mash and toad in the hole, so they actually want to eat what they’re being served.
The best school kitchens are already showing what is possible. Talented chefs and catering teams are finding creative ways to make healthier food colourful, familiar and exciting – and children are often brilliant at getting involved, trying new foods and flavours and shaping what works.
Schools will continue to get the training, resources and guidance they need to deliver these vital reforms, alongside a stronger system so parents can have confidence that good standards are reaching children’s plates.
This is a generational shift in the quality of school food, and I’m so excited about what it can mean for children and families across the country.
