School Food Matters has published new research in collaboration with the University of Birmingham exploring how our Nourish school food transformation programme can be effectively delivered in secondary schools. The research focuses on establishing a whole school approach to food which connects food education, school food provision and overall food culture to create a sustainable school food environment that runs through all aspects of school life.
The findings highlight the practical conditions needed to support implementation in secondary settings, where complex structures, competing priorities and varied food provision models can make whole school approaches more challenging to embed. This study comes at a pivotal moment for school food, as the government announces revisions to the decade-old school food standards.
Drawing on a rapid evidence review, interviews and workshops with students, school staff, caterers and wider sector stakeholders, the study identifies five key conditions for successfully delivering a whole school approach to food in secondary schools:
- A ‘slow and steady’ approach tailored to each school’s context and challenges
- Meaningful and sustained engagement of students
- Strong involvement of school catering teams and catering organisations
- Collaboration with external partners, including local authorities and trusts
- Embedding opportunities to celebrate progress and sustain momentum
Across all five areas, the research highlights the importance of recognising secondary schools as distinct environments, where lasting change is more likely to be achieved through incremental, context-specific approaches that involve the whole school community.
Young people were central to the research and consistently highlighted the importance of being actively involved in shaping their school food environment. However, many felt their input is still too often tokenistic rather than meaningfully acted upon.
One student said:
“What would make me be involved is if we actually saw a change – there was actually different stuff.”
The findings also emphasise the role of catering teams, school leadership and external partners in supporting a whole school approach to food, alongside the importance of clear communication, shared ownership and long-term engagement.
Georgie Branch, Nourish Programme Manager at School Food Matters, said:
“This research helps us better understand what is needed to successfully deliver a whole school approach to food in secondary schools. It shows that meaningful change takes time, collaboration and a clear focus on engaging the whole school community, including students and catering teams.
While the findings directly inform the development of Nourish in secondary settings, they also offer valuable insight for anyone working to strengthen school food culture through a whole school approach.”
Professor Miranda Pallan from the University of Birmingham, said:
“This research builds on our earlier work exploring food in secondary schools, which showed how complex and challenging it can be to ensure students have access to nutritious food. By focusing on how the Nourish programme whole‑school approach to food can be tailored to secondary schools, this study moves the conversation beyond identifying problems to exploring practical solutions. Creating school environments that support nutritious diets is an essential step in protecting young people’s health as they grow into adulthood.”
The Nourish team is now using the findings to adapt the programme for secondary schools, with delivery taking place across Birmingham, Cumberland, Hertfordshire, London and Worcestershire in 2026.
This research will support a wider understanding of how whole school approaches to food can be effectively embedded in secondary schools across England.
Find out more about the Nourish programme.
Explore the Nourish Secondaries research and read the report.
