This study comes at a pivotal moment for school food, as the Government announces revisions to the decade-old school food standards. The evidence is based on interviews and workshops with students, school staff, caterers and the wider school food sector.
Georgie Branch, Nourish programme manager at School Food Matters, said: “This research helps us better understand what is needed to successfully deliver our Nourish programme 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.”
The five key conditions for successfully delivering a whole school approach to food in secondary schools are:
- 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
School Food Matters is now using the findings to adapt its Nourish programme for secondary schools, with delivery taking place across Birmingham, Cumberland, Hertfordshire, London and Worcestershire in 2026.
Professor Miranda Pallan from the University of Birmingham, added: “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’s 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.”