The long-awaited consultation to update England’s school food standards is here. For dietitians and those working across public health, education and food service, this consultation is a rare and critical moment to ensure the standards support schools to meet the nutritional needs of every child.
The proposed new school food standards include welcome developments, with a focus on whole foods, more vegetables and fibre, and strengthening sustainability and inclusivity. These changes have the potential to support healthier dietary patterns among children, while also recognising the wider role of school food in shaping lifelong eating behaviours and promoting equity across the school system. Alongside introducing new standards, the government has also announced plans for compliance and monitoring from September 2027.
Children consume a significant proportion of their daily intake at school, making this one of the most impactful settings for improving dietary quality at population level. Our Nourish Every Child Campaign Resource emphasises that access to nutritious, balanced meals should be seen as a fundamental part of the school day, supporting not only physical health but also concentration, attainment and long-term outcomes. It also makes a strong case for more equitable access to high-quality school food, recognising that current approaches can leave many children without the nutrition they need to thrive.
It is essential that government draws on the expertise of the dietetic workforce strengthen the impact these standards can have on the health of future generations.
BDA response
The BDA will be submitting a formal response to the consultation, championed by our Free School Meals working group. You can read more about this campaign here.
Have your say
We are inviting members to contribute to the BDA response.
We are particularly interested in insights on:
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barriers to implementation and compliance
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opportunities to strengthen nutritional quality
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considerations around sustainability and inclusivity, especially for children with special and medical diets
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examples of best practice or innovative approaches
Your input will help ensure that our response is robust, evidence-based and representative of the profession.
How to contribute
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please send your comments, evidence or examples to Rhianna Mallia, our Free School Meals Campaign Lead by May 11th
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we are hosting a campaign meeting to discuss this consultation response on May 11th at 3pm on MS Teams. If you would like to attend, please contact Rhianna requesting the invitation
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we will review all submissions and inputs to inform the BDA’s response
Contact: [email protected]
