Updating the school food standards: feasibility pilot findings
Report of research that tested and contributed to the development of new school food standards in England.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
This report gives details of research that contributed to the testing and development of new school food standards (SFS) in England. This part of the development process piloted proposed new standards in schools. The Department for Education (DfE) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) used the findings to revise the:
- standards before they were consulted on between April and June 2026
- proposed standards published in September 2026
The research agency Verian carried out the research on behalf of DHSC and DfE, working with schools in England during autumn 2025.
This report is for school leaders, caterers, local council representatives, policy officials and parents and pupils who have an interest in work undertaken to contribute to the development of the SFS.
The findings include information on:
- changes to the current standards that were tested during the pilot
- the feasibility, acceptability and nutritional quality of the lunches provided
- the effect of the changes in several areas including costs and lunch uptake
- any unintended consequences
- changes made to the standards after the pilot and before the consultation
Read more about School food standards in England.
You can find example menus and nutrient analysis based on the updated SFS at School food standards 2027: example menus and nutrient analysis.