Fewer pupils eating school meals

Ministers want more children to eat school meals

Fewer children in England are eating school meals following chef Jamie Oliver's campaign to make menus healthier, government figures suggest.

Its School Food Trust found take-up rates for primary schools in 2005-06 were 42.3% and 42.7% for secondaries.

The figure for all schools the previous year had been 44.9%. The decline comes despite the government's target of a 10-point increase in take-up by 2009.

The trust said schools pushing hardest to improve had done well.

Extra money

Two-thirds of primary school caterers and half of secondary caterers reported a drop in the take-up of school meals.

Some areas saw a decline of 23%, while others saw a 9% increase.

The average price of a meal was £1.54 in primary schools and £1.62 in secondary schools - 4% more than in the previous year.

Mr Oliver has campaigned for schools to provide healthier dinners, made with fresh ingredients.

Ministers have allocated £220m to improve standards, including setting up the School Food Trust to promote reform.

Trust chairman Dame Suzi Leather said: "It is no surprise to us to see a small drop in take-up, considering the huge amount of negative coverage school meals have received in the last 18 months.

"However, what is really encouraging is that some schools who are now offering healthier meals have seen take-up increase."

As revealed last month, there has been a similar decline in Scotland.

Buying elsewhere

English caterers reported that the poor media image and parents' low opinions of school meals had contributed to the decline.

In primary schools, the fact that cooks were serving "more healthy options" resulted in "more pupils bringing in packed lunches instead, the report said.

"In secondary schools, the same reason was felt to have resulted in more pupils buying meals elsewhere."

The head of research at the School Food Trust, Michael Nelson, said many parents had "voted with their feet" after seeing Jamie Oliver's programme and the ensuing media coverage.

The government has announced that junk food will be banned from canteens and vending machines, while lunches will have to contain more fresh fruit and vegetables and less fat, sugar and salt.

The trust's report raised concerns that one in five primary schools had no facilities for preparing food or even for "regenerating" meals brought in from elsewhere.

"Equally it is of concern that 5% of schools choose to serve cold food only," it added.

A Department for Education and Skills spokesman said: "Our reforms are self-sustaining, giving schools the capacity to improve meals and thereby improve take-up and revenues for the long-term.

"We have also tasked the School Food Trust to work with schools to increase meal uptake nationally by 10% over the next two years."