The Department for Education has published the findings from its feasibility pilot for the proposed updated School Food Standards.
The research tested changes designed to bring school food more closely in line with current dietary recommendations, particularly by reducing sugar, saturated fat and salt while increasing fibre, fruit and vegetables.
The findings provide some useful lessons for schools and catering providers preparing for the updated standards.
The pilot showed nutritional improvements
Even though none of the participating schools implemented every proposed standard in full, the nutritional analysis showed clear improvements.
Menus generally contained less sugar, fat and salt, while fibre improved and some vitamins and minerals increased. Free sugars fell particularly as a result of changes to desserts and drinks.
This supports the overall direction of the updated standards, but the research also showed that achieving nutritional improvement is only part of the challenge.
Schools still need menus that pupils will choose, catering teams can realistically produce and budgets can sustain.
Schools already focused on food found the changes easier
One of the strongest findings was the importance of a whole-school approach to food.
Schools where senior leaders already supported healthy eating, catering teams were engaged and pupils were accustomed to gradual menu improvements generally found implementation easier.
Smaller primary schools and schools with experienced in-house catering teams were often able to adapt particularly well.
By contrast, schools starting from a lower level of compliance faced considerably more menu redevelopment and operational change. Secondary schools also experienced additional challenges because of their greater reliance on grab-and-go food.
Pupil acceptance cannot be taken for granted
The pilot produced mixed results for meal uptake.
Some schools maintained or increased uptake, while five caterers reported reductions. In one primary school, uptake initially fell by 19%, but recovered within seven days. At another, uptake reduced from 73% to 67%.
The most significant example was a secondary school where uptake fell by around 40%, largely because familiar grab-and-go products were removed without suitable alternatives being ready.
This is an important lesson.
Removing a non-compliant item is relatively straightforward. Developing an attractive replacement that pupils will actually choose is much more important.
Schools that involved pupils, held tasting sessions, offered appropriate choice and introduced changes gradually generally achieved better acceptance.
There may be a short-term cost impact
Some schools reported food-cost increases of between 6p and 20p per meal during the pilot.
Higher costs were associated with changes including higher-fibre bread, rice and pasta, reduced-fat cheese, different yoghurts and replacing some traditional desserts with fruit.
Additional preparation, staff training and packaging requirements also increased labour costs in some settings.
Caterers expected some ingredient costs to reduce as national demand and supply chains develop, but the findings highlight the importance of reviewing menu costs rather than assuming the changes will automatically be cost-neutral at school level.
Food waste needs to be monitored
The effect on food waste varied considerably.
Some schools reported increased waste, particularly for unfamiliar wholegrain foods, pulses and oily fish, while others reported little or no change.
Schools that were already closer to the proposed standards and had developed a stronger food culture generally reported fewer problems with waste.
For schools, this reinforces the value of monitoring what pupils actually eat, rather than assessing compliance from the written menu alone.
The standards need time, training and menu development
Perhaps the most important recommendation from the researchers is that catering teams need sufficient preparation time.
Caterers suggested approximately 12 months to develop recipes, trial menus, source suitable products, train staff and introduce changes gradually.
The report also recommends clearer practical guidance, examples of compliant menus, better recipe records, training for catering staff and stronger mechanisms for monitoring compliance.
The pilot specifically identified menu-development support as an area where schools may need assistance, particularly with
What should schools be doing now?
For Nansen Green, the key message from the pilot is that preparing for the updated School Food Standards should be treated as an operational change programme, not simply a menu-writing exercise.
Schools and catering providers should be reviewing their existing menus, recipes, products and portion information; identifying where significant changes will be required; testing new dishes with pupils; monitoring costs, uptake and waste; and ensuring catering teams have the skills and equipment required to deliver the revised menu successfully.
The DfE research concludes that the updated standards are achievable, but successful implementation is much more likely where schools have strong leadership, sufficient lead-in time, clear guidance, skilled catering teams and active pupil engagement.
At Nansen Green, we will continue to review the development of the School Food Standards and support schools and catering providers with menu reviews, compliance assessments and practical implementation planning as the updated requirements are introduced.
How Nansen Green can support
Nansen Green can support schools, academy trusts and catering providers in preparing for the updated School Food Standards through practical menu reviews, compliance gap assessments and implementation planning. We can review existing menus against the proposed direction of travel, identify where changes may be required, assess recipe and product information and help schools consider the impact on pupil choice, food costs, waste and kitchen operations. We can also support with allergen and special-diet controls, portion guidance, pupil feedback, meal-uptake monitoring and independent catering reviews to help ensure changes are not only compliant, but workable in practice. For schools using an external catering provider, we can also provide independent challenge and assurance around menu development, implementation timescales and delivery against agreed actions.