Over the past two weeks, the Soil Association has contacted 143 of the 147 local education authorities (LEAs) that provide primary school meals in England. Some seemed unsure of the level of spending and uptake of school meals, and some changed their response during the research, but 79 LEAs did respond in full.
By Soil Association, UK, [RxPG] New research compiled by the Soil Association shows a massive variation in school meal provision across England. The research shows that the Government must act now to introduce baseline nutritional standards to ensure all children have a healthy school dinner.
Over the past two weeks, the Soil Association has contacted 143 of the 147 local education authorities (LEAs) that provide primary school meals in England. Some seemed unsure of the level of spending and uptake of school meals, and some changed their response during the research, but 79 LEAs did respond in full.
Over three-quarters said they spend less than 50 pence per child on ingredients - the minimum figure that Jamie Oliver says should be spent on school meals. The Soil Association has been arguing for over two years that 65 pence should be spent on ingredients to provide a really healthy and tasty school meal.
In almost 60% of the education authorities that responded, take up of school meals is under 50%, falling as low as 26% in Oxfordshire. This suggests that over half the nations children are not eating a hot meal at lunch time.
Peter Melchett, the Soil Association's Policy Director, says: "There are two vital things missing in Ruth Kellys recent announcement on school meals - the introduction of baseline nutritional standards for school meals, and increased funding to pay for decent ingredients and for extra hours in the kitchen. At the moment, Ruth Kelly does not plan to do anything about nutritional standards for primary school meals until September 2006. She must act now, not in a year and a half."
The Soil Associations Food for Life schools show a systematic increase in uptake and ingredients spend. The Soil Association encourages parents and schools to work with their existing school meal provider to improve the service. The survey showed that many LEAs are struggling to deliver as good a school meal service as possible and many others are working to improve the quality of school meals.
The full list of Local Authorities take up and spend on ingredients will be available from 9 am Thursday 24 March at www.soilassociation.org/foodforlife
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