Guidance

Standards for school food in England

Applying the standards for planning and providing food in schools.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 8 January 2015
• Last updated: 14 September 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 14 September 2026

     Updated to reflect that new school food standards will be implemented from 2027.

  2. 23 June 2023

     One sentence has been changed for clarity. 'Compliance with the requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 is mandatory for all maintained schools including academies and free schools’ now says ‘Compliance with the requirements for School Food Regulations 2014 is mandatory for all maintained schools, academies and free schools.’

  3. 21 June 2023

     Updated the 'Important information' section in 'School food in England' to clarify standards on school trips.

  4. 26 August 2021

     Updated to remove references to EU law that no longer apply and added a link to the labelling of allergens on prepacked for direct sales food.

  5. 26 March 2019

     Updated 'School food in England' and included a link to healthy eating resources for schools.

  6. 9 September 2016

     Updated information on where the School Food Standards are mandatory for some academies and free schools.

  7. 14 July 2016

     Added the 2016 version of the document.

  8. 8 January 2015

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

School food in England

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Details

Information for schools on planning and preparing healthy food is available in School food standards.

This is for governing boards of:

• all local-authority-maintained schools
• pupil referral units (these provide education for children who cannot go to a mainstream school)
• academies and free schools
• non-maintained special schools (a school for children with special educational needs that the Secretary of State for Education has approved under section 342 of the Education Act 1996)

It includes information on planning and provision of school food.