South Suffolk MP questions school meal overhaul as Suffolk headteacher backs healthier menus
*New school food standards would mean vegetables or salad with every main meal and tighter restrictions on foods high in fat, sugar and salt
A Suffolk headteacher says pupils have become more willing to try different foods after her school overhauled its meals, as a county MP questions whether changing school menus should be a Government priority.
The Government has announced what it describes as the biggest overhaul of school food in more than a decade, with updated standards due to take effect from September 2027, subject to Parliamentary approval.
Under the changes, every main savoury meal would have to include a starchy carbohydrate, a source of protein and vegetables or salad.
There will also be tighter limits on foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt, alongside more fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and pulses and new standards for breakfasts. Some requirements for secondary schools will be phased in from September 2028.
The Government says the changes are intended to bring school food into line with current dietary recommendations and help children develop healthier eating habits.
Suffolk school says pupils are embracing greater variety
Ilketshall St Lawrence Primary School has already made significant changes to the food it offers pupils.
Headteacher Sarah Orves said the school brought its catering and kitchens in-house around a year ago after recognising there was not enough variety in its existing menu.
She said one of the biggest challenges was encouraging children to move away from familiar options and try something different.
The school introduced "Try It Tuesday", allowing children to taste a small amount of a dish regardless of whether they had ordered it for lunch or brought a packed lunch.
Mrs Orves said that, over time, children who had initially only tasted the dishes began choosing them for their school dinners.
She said: “And what we found soon enough was that they were actually coming in and ordering those meals and asking to have school dinners on those days. And that really was a big changing point for us.”
The school has also held tasting sessions for parents, with Mrs Orves saying some families had subsequently started recreating dishes at home.
She said staff had initially been concerned that introducing unfamiliar food could leave some children not eating enough.
But she added: “I just don't think that people gave children enough credit in that they would try these different things and enjoy them.”
Mrs Orves also said staff had observed changes outside the dining hall after the new menu was introduced.
“In the afternoons, we noticed that the focus of the children began to improve. Energy levels were definitely there. And so you did see the real impact of what this different menu was having on the children,” she said.
Those observations are the school's experience and do not in themselves establish that the menu changes caused improvements in pupils' concentration or energy.
South Suffolk MP questions the Government's priorities
However, South Suffolk Conservative MP James Cartlidge has questioned whether changing school meals should be a priority for the Government.
He said: “I have no problem in principle with healthier school meals.
“I think the question is whether this really should be the priority right now, or as I would see it, ensuring our schools deliver the highest possible standards.”
Mr Cartlidge pointed to recent PISA international education assessments, which he described as effectively an “international Ofsted”, and argued the results reflected positively on the previous Conservative government's record on education.
He also criticised changes being made by the Labour Government, including policies affecting academies and the removal of single-word Ofsted judgements, which he claimed would undermine standards.
The Department for Education has been approached for a response to Mr Cartlidge's comments.
What will change under the new standards?
The existing statutory school food standards have been in place since 2015.
The Department for Education says the new requirements have been developed following consultation with parents, pupils, schools, caterers, local authorities and other organisations. Its consultation received more than 5,000 responses.
As well as requiring vegetables or salad as part of every main savoury meal, the updated standards are intended to increase the amount of fibre, fruit and vegetables offered and reduce foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt.
There will also be new requirements covering breakfasts and tighter limits on sugary foods and desserts.
The Government says schools will have the coming year to prepare ahead of the planned introduction of the standards in September 2027, with some secondary school requirements following a year later.