The department knows that children and young people’s own experiences are key to shaping effective school food standards. To support this, the department has been engaging with children and young people to understand what they eat at school, what they enjoy, and what they would like to see improved.

As part of the consultation, the department has worked with youth organisations, such as the Food Foundation’s Young Food Ambassadors and Bite Back 2030.This is to ensure that the consultation responses they submitted capture the views of children and young people, helping the department build a rounded picture of what matters to children in their day-to-day school life.

The consultation ran from 13 April 2026 to 12 June 2026 and the department is analysing the responses. The results of the consultation and the department's response will be published on GOV.UK in September 2026.

The department has not made an assessment of the number of schools that stop offering hot meals during periods of hot weather.

Beyond the School Food Standards, decisions about catering arrangements are a matter for individual schools and their catering providers. The department’s expectation is that schools remain open wherever it is safe to do so, and schools may make operational adjustments in response to local conditions and risk assessments during period of extreme heat. The department’s guidance emphasises the importance of ensuring pupils have access to food, water and appropriate facilities, while taking practical steps to keep children safe and comfortable in hot weather.

The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink provided in state‑funded schools in England.

Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals, including the sourcing of ingredients, and can choose how best to meet this duty. The department has published guidance and resources for schools to help them deliver a range of tasty and nutritious meals. Schools should make reasonable adjustments for pupils with particular requirements, for example to reflect medical, dietary and cultural needs.

The department recognises the pressures that some schools and suppliers may be facing due to rising costs. We are working closely with the school food sector to understand the wider school food system to support the delivery of the free school meals expansion, and the upcoming School Food Standards update.

As part of the Good Food Cycle, the government is currently assessing what food the public sector buys and where it comes from. In due course, this will provide us with detailed insights on the extent to which public sector settings are serving food from local and sustainable sources and what more can be done to support local procurement.

Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for maintained schools, academies and free schools.

The department is strengthening accountability by making school food more transparent to parents and the community, and by proposing a named lead governor responsible for holding leadership to account where standards are not met.

The department is working with a range of stakeholders on appropriate standards of accountability as we develop the final standards.

I refer my hon. my hon. Friend, the Member for Clapham and Brixton Hill to the answer of 23 June 2026 to Question 9524.

The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and we have recently consulted on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England to ensure that all food served at school better reflects current nutritional guidance and support children’s health, wellbeing and learning.

As part of our proposals, we have consulted on changes to increase fibre, reduce sugar and further restrict foods higher in fat, sugar and salt, in line with the latest nutritional advice set by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.

The consultation sought views on the practical impact of the proposed standards, including on bread products that meet the proposed fibre threshold but contain small amounts of oil for functional manufacturing purposes. We will now consider these consultation responses.

The government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and we have recently consulted on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England to ensure that all food served at school better reflects current nutritional guidance and support children’s health, wellbeing and learning.

The new School Food Standards will be announced in September 2026 with implementation from September 2027. This will provide schools and caterers sufficient time to plan menus and adapt their supply chains so the changes can be embedded successfully. Additionally, a small number of requirements will be implemented from September 2028 for secondary schools. Over that time, we will continue to engage with schools, caterers and parents to help them prepare for the changes. We will be working with the sector to promote best practice and share different ways in which schools are meeting the new standards.

This government is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. Schools are required to follow the school food standards to ensure that all children can access a healthy, nutritious meal while at school.

We have published guidance and resources for schools to help them deliver a range of tasty and nutritious meals, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-food-standards-resources-for-schools.

Headteachers, school governors and caterers are best placed to make decisions about their school food policies, considering local circumstances and to ensure appropriate provision for cultural, religious and special dietary requirements.

A good meal or a nutritious breakfast can set a child up for the day. The department is consulting on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England to ensure that all food served at school better reflects current nutritional guidance, supports our work to raise the healthiest generation ever, and ensures children are given the very best start in life.

Evidence shows that access to nutritious school meals is associated with higher attainment, improved behaviour, and better health and economic outcomes, factors that contribute to improved life chances for children.

The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink provided in state‑funded schools in England. They are designed to ensure children receive the energy and nutrients they need during the school day, while giving schools flexibility to design menus that work for their pupils and local circumstances.

Since the School Food Standards were introduced in 2014, the dietary recommendations on free sugar, fibre and sweeteners have changed and the proportion of children living with obesity is high. The department is committed to raising the healthiest generation ever, so we are consulting on proposed updates to the School Food Standards in England to ensure that all food served at school, including ‘grab and go’ options, better reflects current nutritional guidance and support children’s health, wellbeing and learning. The consultation is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/school-food-standards-updating-the-legislative-framework.

As part of our proposals, we are proposing that ‘grab and go’ options must also contain or be accompanied by vegetables or salad.

We are committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and we are consulting on proposed updates to the School Food Standards, closing on 12 June. The changes we propose to make are related to increasing fibre, reducing sugar and further restricting foods higher in fat, sugar and salt, in line with the latest nutritional advice set by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.

As part of our public consultation, we are asking schools what support they need to comply with updated School Food Standards. With the planned implementation approach, we are giving schools more than two terms’ notice, which will help them prepare effectively.

We are also working with the sector, including caterers and governing bodies, to develop guidance and identify and share best practice. We will also signpost to useful resources available externally.

We are committed to raising the healthiest generation ever and we are consulting on proposed updates to the School Food Standards, closing on 12 June. The changes we propose to make are related to increasing fibre, reducing sugar and further restricting foods higher in fat, sugar and salt, in line with the latest nutritional advice set by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.

As part of our public consultation, we are asking schools what support they need to comply with updated School Food Standards. With the planned implementation approach, we are giving schools more than two terms’ notice, which will help them prepare effectively.

We are also working with the sector, including caterers and governing bodies, to develop guidance and identify and share best practice. We will also signpost to useful resources available externally.

We are committed to raising the healthiest generation ever. The School Food Standards are being updated because they are over a decade old and no longer fully reflect the latest scientific advice on children’s diets. In summary, the changes we propose to make are related to increasing fibre, reducing sugar and further restricting foods higher in fat, sugar and salt, in line with the latest nutritional advice set by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.

As part of ensuring the standards reflect the latest evidence in practice, our proposals have been developed through close consultation with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and were also informed by an advisory group and key stakeholders in the food, catering, nutrition, and health sectors. The public consultation now provides a further opportunity to assess the proposals.

We know that children and young people’s own experiences are key to shaping effective school food standards. To support this, we have been engaging with children and young people to understand what they eat at school, what they enjoy, and what they would like to see improved. We are working with youth organisations, such as the Food Foundation’s Young Food Ambassadors, to ensure that the consultation responses they submit capture the views of children and young people, helping us build a rounded picture of what matters to children in their day-to-day school life.

The department holds the data for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) taken in Hertfordshire since the policy was introduced, but not at constituency level. This data is published in the ‘Schools, pupils and characteristics’ publication. The most recent version was published in June 2025 and the next is scheduled for summer 2026.

Information on the number of infant pupils taking a meal in Hertfordshire (and England) for UIFSM between 2015/16 and 2024/25 can be found at https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics/2024-25#section-free-school-meals-eligibility and https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/31364812-04d8-4846-70c8-08deb7cf662b.

The department recognises that access to nutritious school food plays an important role in supporting children’s health and breaking down barriers to opportunity. The School Food Standards set the mandatory nutritional framework for food and drink in state‑funded schools, ensuring pupils receive the energy and nutrients they need while developing healthy eating habits. This is why we are taking action to update the Standards and are consulting on the changes to ensure they better reflect current nutritional guidance. Nutritious school food, alongside education on healthy eating, supports wider efforts to improve health outcomes.

The consultation is available at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/school-food-policy-team/school-food-standards-updating-the-leg-framework/.