September 2026 series: What helps children enjoy and benefit from school food?
This month we've celebrated some of the biggest changes to school food in a generation, including the expansion of free school meals and the publication of new school food standards. But access and food quality are only part of the story.
Through my work with schools, I’ve learned that children are most likely to benefit from school food when given opportunities to engage. Cooking, growing, tasting and learning about food can help children build confidence, broaden their palates, gain practical skills and develop a positive relationship with food that lasts beyond their time at school.
Why food education matters
Food education helps children understand where their food comes from and how the food they eat supports them to learn, grow and feel happy. We can become quite detached from our food, so giving children the chance to grow something, cook it and then taste it helps them to connect the dots between the different stages of its journey, from growing to preparing to eating.
“The children are more aware of where food comes from, for sure. They were so excited about what had grown and what hadn’t. I think it’s shaping them and how they see the world. [They] understand now where different flavours come from. They have learnt not just about vegetables but also herbs and how you can use herbs in cooking. It’s getting them to try and taste different flavours” - primary school teacher participating in Young Marketeers, our flagship food growing programme, Plymouth
What we've learned through Nourish
One of the things that has stood out to me through Nourish, our whole school food transformation programme, is how much children can learn from practical, hands-on experiences with food - children often want to try something when they have helped make it.
During family cooking sessions, I’ve seen children try and enjoy foods they wouldn’t usually eat, including beetroot, spring onion and couscous. The sense of pride that comes from planting, preparing or cooking something can stay with children long after the activity has finished.
Sensory food exploration is another great example. In these sessions, children explore different fruits and vegetables through looking, touching, smelling and tasting. Children who don’t always speak in social situations often join in and voice their opinions, building confidence at the same time as trying new foods.
These experiences can have an impact beyond trying a new food once. A food waste project with a group of School Food Ambassadors helped children understand how much is involved in getting food onto their plates. They learned that food waste also means wasting money and the time and effort of everyone involved, from growers and factory workers to delivery drivers and school cooks.
Listening to children and young people
Pupil voice is absolutely critical in making changes to school food. Children are the ones eating the food, so understanding their experiences helps schools make improvements that genuinely work for them.
Schools that do this well create regular opportunities for children to share their views through food ambassador groups, surveys, tasting sessions and menu development. When children feel listened to, they are more likely to engage positively and become advocates for good school food.
“We have students with behavioural issues who have been participating, and it’s given them responsibility and a purpose. [...] We’ve also seen them teaching their friends about plants which has been great. Students have also been able to taste veg that they haven’t tried before like chives” - primary school teacher, Barking and Dagenham
Creating positive experiences with food – a specialist school case study
Horizon Academy is a specialist SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) school in the London Borough of Newham.
Through Nourish, students built confidence around food by taking part in hands-on activities which gave them opportunities to explore new foods in a supportive environment.
While some students were initially reluctant to participate, staff found that many became more willing to engage once activities were underway. Students planted herbs and vegetables, prepared infused waters and explored different flavours, textures and ingredients through sensory food education and tasting sessions.
The programme was a reminder of how practical food education can help remove barriers to trying new foods, even among pupils who were initially reluctant to take part.
Why a whole school approach to food matters
A whole school approach helps children make connections between what they learn in the classroom and what they experience, whether at breakfast club, in the dining hall or in the school garden. It brings children, staff and families together around food and makes it a shared part of school life, rather than something that only happens at lunchtime.
"A whole school approach puts child wellbeing at the very heart of our policies and seizes every opportunity to embed a positive food culture. When we actively engage our families, teachers, governors, and caterers in this shared mission, meal times transform from a basic necessity into a communal experience that builds a vital sense of belonging and community." - David Littlemore, Executive Headteacher at two secondary schools in Reading and Bracknell
Making the most of September’s changes
The recent expansion of free school meals and newly published school food standards create an important opportunity to think about how children experience food at school, not just whether they can access it.
The success of the new standards will depend not only on more nutritious food being available, but on children choosing to eat it. Food education, tasting opportunities, pupil voice and positive dining experiences can all help increase uptake and encourage children to choose more nutritious options.
Schools could help boost uptake by inviting parents to come in and taste the food with their children; supporting School Food Ambassadors or Student Councils to promote school dinners to their peers; or asking class teachers to spend five minutes talking about the menu with their class each morning. Even a simple conversation about which vegetables are being served that day could encourage a child to try something new.
Food education is critical to ensuring the new reforms succeed in practice. As more children become eligible for free school meals and schools begin implementing the new standards, opportunities to cook, grow, taste and learn about food can help ensure children embrace nutritious options, increase uptake and ensure they get the full benefit of these important changes.
Discover our Nourish and food education projects.