Publication of new school meals report

Charity calls for a 'recipe for change'
08.09.04

Leading children's charity demands real and effective government intervention to improve school meals

School meals require more action from government and a wide range of government interventions if they are to ensure a healthy and nutritious diet is eaten by a high proportion of children, claims a new report published by the Child Poverty Action Group today.

Recipe for Change – a good practice guide to school meals is the first report of its kind to draw together practical examples from across the country to make key recommendations for the future of school meals and is published in the same week that the government announced new guidelines for schools to promote healthy eating.

The report, edited by Carrieanne Hurley and Ashley Riley, has contributions from schools, local authorities and campaign groups. They show where innovative and imaginative policies are introduced the quality and take up of school meals are improved.

'School meals play an important role in promoting healthy eating and tackling disadvantage,' said CPAG's Chief Executive Kate Green. 'Recipe for Change is the first time that good practice has been brought together. And despite this week's new guidance for schools on healthy living unless real policy changes are introduced by the government, school meals will continue to fail children.'

Recipe for Change has contributions from Hull City Council, where free school meals have been introduced for all primary school children. A school in Sunderland shares its experiences of overcoming stigma using 'eye scanners' while regeneration programmes in East London report the involvement of all the local community in making a real and lasting difference.

'Without doubt school meals and their provision can and must be improved. Recipe for Change proves, using a number of examples, that innovative approaches make a real difference." said Kate Green

'School meals were introduced in Britain following a parliamentary report into malnutrition in 1904. 100 years later government intervention is again required to ensure school meals provide a healthy and nutritious diet for all children.'

Among the recommendations made by Hurley and Riley are the inclusion of food and nutrition in the national curriculum and the improvement of the government's basic nutritional standards.

'Children and young people make the best decisions when they are fully informed. Knowledge of nutrition and healthy foods is fundamental to making the best choices. Until children are given proper information, and the woefully minimal standards are improved, children will continue to make poor and ill informed choices.' said Kate Green.

Recipe for Change encourages all schools to have a 'food policy' and a school meals plan with minimum requirements for take up of school meals. It goes on to recommend that innovation grants should be available for schools from government to enable them to introduce new systems to improve the take up of meals.

'Many children from low income families rely on school meals for their main meal of the day. Recipe for Change proves that much can be done by schools, local authorities and campaign groups to improve school meals. But real and effective government intervention is needed to ensure all children have the healthy and nutritious diet they deserve.' Kate Green said.

For more information contact:
Ashley Riley
Press Officer
Tel 020 7812 5216
Mobile 07811 324339
ariley@cpag.org.uk

Recipe for Change – a good practice guide to school meals is edited by Carrieanne Hurley and Ashley Riley. It is published by the Child Poverty Action Group and is available from CPAG at £9 plus £1.30 p&p. Cheques/POs payable to CPAG, 94 White Lion Street, London N1 9PF. For review copies of the book please contact Ashley Riley. See full book details.

Contributors to the report include:
Nationals Children's Home, London Borough of Newham, South Gloucestershire Council, Hull City Council, Glasgow City Council, Venerable Bede Secondary School, Sunderland, CPAG Scotland and Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming. Government Minister Stephen Twigg MP writes the foreword.

Some of the contributors are available for interview and further comment. Contact Ashley Riley for further details.

The report's recommendations are:

• The government should make food and nutrition a compulsory part of the national curriculum.
• Basic nutritional standards should be increased from their present basic form.
• All local education authorities should ensure that all their schools have a 'school meals plan' or a 'food policy' with a minimum requirement for take-up.
• The government should introduce 'innovation grants' in order for schools to implement smart cards.
• Local education authorities must ensure that all schools have a SNAG (school nutritional action group) that includes students and representatives from the school's caterers
• There is a need to value catering staff more highly – both in terms of pay and conditions
• All school meals staff should be trained, or receive training, to an agreed national standard in nutrition.
• Government guidelines for school meals should emphasise the importance of grilling and baking over frying. Only one item of fried food (for example, chips) should be available in one day.