The study (Connolly et al, 2023) shows that children receiving FSM can often struggle to get fruit and vegetables and can be disadvantaged by the “meal deal” approach used by many schools.
The research was conducted by 42 students aged 11 to 15 from seven secondary schools across Yorkshire. The findings have been published by the Food Foundation and University of York as part of Yorkshire’s FixOurFood programme.
The students were asked to spend only their FSM allowance each day for a week. They had to try and buy the healthiest options possible.
The research also considered how sustainable the schools’ lunchtime operations were, including in terms of waste and recycling.
The findings have yielded important lessons for schools, including some things to avoid. Indeed, the research project has led some of the participating schools to put in place immediate changes. The findings included:
- The amount which the students received on their accounts varied. The allocation from government is fixed at £2.53 but the students received between £2.15 and £2.70.
- Children often received their FSM allocation just before lunch, meaning it could not be used in the mid-morning break.
- Unclear pricing causes problems in the canteen. Students described feeling “under pressure” as they approached the counter, not knowing if they would be asked to put items back as they were over-budget.
- Shorter lunch breaks (of 25 to 35 minutes across the seven schools) led to pupils choosing less healthy “grab and go” options (wraps, pizza) as it meant less time queueing and they didn’t have to eat at a table in the canteen.
- The FSM allocation does not allow students to afford a morning snack and a meal at lunch. The report states: “Not having the same choices as their peers can make students feel excluded and stigmatised.”
A particular issue seemed to be the meal deals that many schools offer at the level of the FSM allocation. FSM pupils “rely heavily on the meal deal”, which usually consist of a main, dessert and a bottled drink.
However, this means that often drinking sweetened drinks in plastic bottles (which were often not being recycled) when they could be drinking water and spending the money saved on food.
Students also reported that the meal deals contained limited fruit and vegetables. Indeed, on one day in the week not a single portion of fruit was purchased by any of the 42 young researchers. In four out of the seven schools, no fruit was purchased over the entire week.
The report states: “Only being able to spend the FSM allowance restricted students’ ability to choose the healthiest options. In one school, the dishes available as part of the meal deal always contained two portions of vegetables. However, this was not the case in every school; usually only one portion of vegetables or a side salad was offered.
“In many cases, fruit was not an option in the meal deal; nor was it offered as an alternative to the sweet option, which, in many cases, was a tray bake, such as brownies or flapjacks.”
If students do not buy a meal deal, then they must purchase single items and can often only afford one thing. More than one-third of the lunches purchased during the study included a baguette, sandwich, panini, or wrap. A quarter included pizza. More than half the lunches purchased were not recorded to contain any vegetables.
The report praised some good practices in the schools. One of the seven was commended for having no single items on sale and instead asking every student, FSM or not, to choose from one of three meal deals set at the level of the FSM allocation.
Another school, meanwhile, did not sell any snacks at breaktime, but provided free substantial breakfasts before school for all students.
For schools and caterers, the report recommends:
- All items are priced clearly and that up-to-date menus are available online and in school to enable students to make decisions before the point of purchase.
- Flexibility on when the FSM allowance can be spent throughout the school day and allowing unspent allowance to be accrued on a student’s account (currently students lose any allocation they do not spend).
- Reducing disposable food packaging, in order to work towards a more sustainable school food system.
The report also recommends a “water-only” approach for schools to allow more resources to be allocated to food.
The Food Foundation is calling for the government to mandate that all FSM funding passed from local authorities or multi-academy trusts to schools is ring-fenced for school meal provision in order to prevent allocations of less than the £2.53 a day, which can happen depending on local agreements.
The charity also wants to see updates to the School Food Standards to include a requirement to offer two or more portions of vegetables with every meal and to ensure that “grab and go” items include a portion of vegetables.
And it is calling for the free School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme, which currently provides fresh fruit and vegetables to all children aged 4 to 7 in schools, to be extended to all year groups up to and including year 11.
Schools involved in the project have already begun making changes. Bedale School in North Yorkshire has acted to make its pricing clearer. Head of key stage 4 Val Clayden explained: “I wanted the school to be involved as I was concerned about the number of students on FSM who were not using all their daily allowance due to lack of clear pricing as well as not being able to combine some food combinations.
“I wanted all students to be able to have a healthy meal which would help them stay well and ensure they had the opportunity to choose a variety of dishes.”
The One In A Million Free School in Bradford meanwhile has stopped selling bottled drinks to students. Assistant principal Charlotte Stuart explained: “We ask students to bring their own reusable bottles in and fill them up with water. At lunchtime we now provide water or juice in jugs with cups. As a result of thinking about sustainability and the impact of plastic in relation to school lunches for the research, two of our year 11 students took this proposal to the student leadership team and it then became a school policy. This also frees up FSM allowance to be spent on food for the student meals.”
Annie Connolly, citizen engagement manager at the Food Foundation said: “This research gives us a valuable insight into what it’s really like to receive FSM from a student's perspective. FSM are a crucial nutritional safety net for many young people across England so it’s important we ensure students are getting a balanced meal.
“About a third of a child’s food intake happens during the school day, and we know many children aren’t able to eat as well at home as a result of the cost of living crisis. If simple changes can be made to improve the standards of school food, while also extending eligibility, this could have a hugely positive impact on the health of the next generation.”
- Connolly et al: A better deal for school food: A research project by secondary students, Food Foundation, University of York, 2023: https://foodfoundation.org.uk/publication/better-deal-free-school-meals