SCHOOL FOOD AND BREAKFAST CLUBS
|
Guest blog: Feeding Futures – Nourishing Children, Supporting Families and Boosting Learning with Breakfast Clubs
To Mark National School Breakfast week earlier this month, our latest guest blog from Registered Public Health Nutritionist Ali Morpeth discusses Labour’s Breakfast Club Policy and the benefits of universal provision to children and families. 2024
|
Hunger in the Classroom
Free School Meals: Impact, Policy and Future Directions
Currently approximately 250,000 children living in some of most deprived households in England are not receiving the free school meal that they have a right to. The DfE estimates that approximately 11% of pupils entitled to means-tested FSM are not registered. Parents do not register their child for free school meals due to a multitude of reasons and the registration process differs across local authorities and schools. Recently a number of local authorities have piloted so called ‘auto-enrolment’ which requires the local authority to ‘scape’ and match data (e.g. data from revenues and benefits with FSM registration). This normally works on an opt out basis in which the local authority sends the parents/carers a letter offering them the chance of opt out of the process. Such local efforts have shown that this approach not only significantly increases the number of pupils registering for FSM but also increases the associated pupil premium paid to schools. Whilst we applaud such efforts from local authorities, it seems that a much more efficient, national solution is at hand. A data agreement between the DfE and the DWP would, with some modification to the existing systems, allow claimants of benefits that meet the criteria for means tested FSM to be assessed at the point of claim. Thus, reducing administrative work and checks, and reducing pressure on cash strapped local authorities. These two presentations highlight the need to broaden FSM entitlement.
|
Diversity and practice: local decision-making practices on multi-cultural diets for British Muslim school children (BMSC) and implications for social justice
This study explores the perceptions of key stakeholders regarding fairness and accessibility of school meals for BMSC, as well as discussing school food provision for those maintaining a religious diet in light of social justice. 2024
|
A Day in the Life of a Secondary School Pupil in Relation to School Food
An exploration of how school meal uptake and individual dietary uptake during the secondary school day can be improved to support pupil's health, wellbeing, attendance and educational attainment. 2024
|
A country that works for all children and young people – an evidence-based plan for supporting physical activity and health nutrition with and through education settings
A report produced in collaboration with the N8 Research Partnership, Child of the North, Health Equity North and a number of universities outlines overwhelming evidence that the health of children and young people in the UK is getting worse and children’s education, as well as physical and mental wellbeing, is being impacted by inactivity and unhealthy diets and provides and overview on how the government can reset their vision for children. 2024
|
Hunger in the UK classroom
A chapter in the Routledge
International Handbook on Equity and Inclusion in Education. 2024
|
A brief review of Secondary School Food Policy (SSFP) in the UK from 2010-2022
The purpose of this paper is to provide a snapshot of secondary school food policy (SSFP) across the devolved nations (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) to offer insights into a growing area of policy concern. 2024
|
London’s Universal Free School Meals provision could come at a cost to primary schools
The Greater London Authority planned to deliver universal free school meals to all primary school children across London, however the scheme could result in significant losses in school funding through a drop in pupil premiums. To estimate how much income may be lost, researchers in Northumbria University’s Healthy Living Lab used school census data from the Department for Education and a DfE report that stated that 11% of parents whose children are eligible for free school meals but are not registered to receive them.
|
Covid-19: School and community feeding programs for children and young people
The papers included in this Research Topic clearly show how schools, and school feeding programs, are central to all educational recovery programs in building back better from the COVID-19 pandemic. 2022
|
School Meals Case Study: England
A case study prepared by the Research Consortium for School Health and Nutrition, an initiative of the School Meals Coalition. 2022
|
Impact of school closures on the health and well-being of primary school children in Wales UK: a routine data linkage study using the HAPPEN Survey (2018-2020)
This study aimed to explore the relationship between initial school closures and children’s health by comparing health and well-being outcomes collected during school closures (April–June 2020) via HAPPEN (the Health and Attainment of Pupils in a Primary Education Network) with data from the same period in 2019 and 2018 via the HAPPEN Survey. 2021
|
Pioneering New Approaches to Children’s Food Budgets
A case study with Feeding Britain that recommends children in receipt of free school meals should be able to 'carry over' unspent money from their electronic cards to make the system more equitable for all pupils. 2020
|
A literature review of breakfast consumption and school breakfast clubs
A review of the academic literature published on children’s breakfast consumption and the impact of school breakfast clubs on children’s diet, health, and educational success. 2020
|
Where’s the money gone? The mystery of the ‘missing’ £88 million allocated to provide free school meals to disadvantaged children
An article covering the release of a report that looks at the millions of pounds allocated by the government to feed some of the poorest children in the country and why it is unaccounted for. 2019
|
School Meals & Pupil Premium: Hungry for Change
A working paper which estimates that universal free school meals across London may come at a cost to pupil premiums. 2019
|
Hunger in the primary school setting: evidence, impacts and solutions according to school staff in the North East of England, UK
The issue of ‘holiday hunger’ (i.e. food insecurity during school holidays) has received increased attention in recent years, though research in this area is limited. 2019
|
Covid-19: Back to School, Rebuilding a Better Future for All Children
A submission (CIE0042) to the Education Select Committee inquiry on the impact of COVID-19 on education and children’s services. 2020
|
School and community breakfast clubs online training
An end of programme report into the success of a training programme – developed in partnership with Kellogg’s – for schools and community groups involved in the implementation or delivery of breakfast clubs during 2016-17.
|
School holiday food provision in the UK: a qualitative investigation of needs, benefits and potential for development
This research investigates the views of staff and volunteers working in holiday clubs to gauge their views about the needs and benefits of holiday food provision. The investigation revealed that staff and volunteers believe that holiday clubs are a valuable source of support for children and adults, providing food, activities, and learning experiences.
Published in Frontiers in Public Health, 2016.
|
Universal free school breakfast: A qualitative process evaluation according to the perspectives of senior stakeholders
This study assessed senior stakeholder views on the processes and potential outcomes on different groups, within the communities served by school breakfast programmes.
Published in Public Health Frontiers, 2016.
|
Breakfast clubs: Starting the day in a positive way
A study of directly observed children's behaviour within breakfast club settings to devise a set of observational criteria and investigate the occurrence of positive and negative behaviours.
Published in Frontiers in Public Health, 2015.
|
More than just a meal: Breakfast club attendance and children’s social relationships
An investigation of attendance at breakfast clubs and after school clubs to assess their impact on children's friendship quality and experiences of peer victimisation.
Published in Frontiers in Public Health, 2015.
|
The advantages and disadvantages of breakfast clubs according to parents, children and school staff in the North East of England, UK
An investigation into the views of parents, children and school staff on school breakfast clubs.
Published in Frontiers in Public Health, 2015.
|
Universal free school breakfast: a qualitative model for breakfast behaviours
A study to investigate the beliefs, views and attitudes, and breakfast consumption behaviours among key stakeholders served by a council-wide universal free school breakfast initiative in the North West of England.
Published in Frontiers in Public Health, 2015.
|