Driving Change in School Food

The Food Foundation has campaigned for many years to improve school food in England, combining public advocacy, research and coalition work to drive lasting change, including working with footballer Marcus Rashford to raise awareness.

Our landmark campaigns have helped build the case for expanding Free School Meals, culminating in the government’s decision to extend eligibility to all families in England receiving Universal Credit, while its work through the School Food Review and the School Food Project has helped secure updated school food standards and will champion the support schools need to put them into practice respectively.

Alongside this policy work, we continue to back schools and partners with evidence, campaigning and practical resources to help deliver healthier, more appealing school food for every child.

About the School Food Project

The School Food Project is on a mission to support schools to transform the quality of school food and food education in line with the new school food standards. Funded by a group of philanthropic foundations led by the Henry Smith Foundation, the project will be delivered by a coalition of organisations with expertise in delivering outstanding food and food education including Bite Back, Chefs in Schools, the Jamie Oliver Group, School Food Matters and The Food Foundation.

This independent initiative is working to turbo-charge new policy commitments to expand free school meals and improve school food standards. Together, we are driving lasting change so that every child, in every state school, has access to nutritious food, impactful food education, and the opportunity to thrive, now and in the future. Find out more about the project and access free resources for your school via the School Food Project Hub.

About the School Food Review

The School Food Review is a group of 38 member organisations which include charities, unions, catering bodies, educational organisations and academics who contribute to England’s school food system. Our work is supported by Impact on Urban Health and governed by School Food Matters, Chefs in Schools, Bite Back, Sustain and The Food Foundation.

This is a pivotal year for school food. The government has recently announced a consultation on updating school food standards and a commitment for standards to be monitored. This comes alongside government rollout of free breakfast clubs and expansion of free school meal eligibility. These wins are the result of a tireless collaboration and campaigning by members of the School Food Review. Together, we have proven that collective action works. Together, we are mighty.