An evidence based approach to increasing school meal uptake. Presented by Paul Aagaard, Director, Recipe for Change, to London LAs Client Officer meeting.

1. An evidence based
approach to increasing
school meal uptake
Project:
Department of Education school meal bid
Prepared by:
Paul Aagaard
Date:
Thursday 24th October, 2013
Email:
paul.a@recipeforchange.co.uk
Twitter
Recipe_4_change
Website:
www.recipeforchange.co.uk

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Credentials
• Recipe for Change vision
• Knowledge and expertise
Challenges
• School Meal issues
• Rationale
Solution
• Evidence based solution
• DofE bid opportunity

3. SCHOOL MEAL CHALLENGES
Parent
misperceptions
about school
meals
UFSM Capacity
Ofsted
inspections of
the dining hall
Challenges
Meal uptake
isn’t a priority
for heads
Lost learning
minutes
Poor Midday
Supervisor
morale

4. WHY ARE THE CHALLENGES SUCH AN
ISSUE?
Long queues
Midday
Supervisor
attitudes
Segregating
packed
lunches
Lunchtime
environment
Not sitting
with friends
Not enough
time to eat

5. LUNCHTIMES CONSEQUENCES
Poor
concentration
Disrupted
afternoon
lessons
Bullying
Lunchtime
issues
Unsafe
environment
Inappropriate
behaviour

6. STRATEGIC SOLUTION
Behaviour &
Safety
School
meal
caterers
School Meal
Provision
Increasing
school meal
uptake
Recipe for
Change
Public
Health
LA catering
teams
Obesity
Prevention
Performance
Management

7. A PROVEN FORMULA TO INCREASE
UPTAKE
Needs
assessment
Evaluation
Pupil & Parent
healthy eating
workshops
Lunchtime
action plan
Systemic
lunchtime
changes

8. SUMMARY OF OUTCOMES
Parental
engagement
Increased school
meal uptake
MDSA
motivation
Reduced food
waste
MDSA
professional
development
Improved
concentration
Improved
behaviour

9. EVIDENCE BASED OUTCOMES
Little
Common
West
Blatchington
• 20% school meal increase.
• 75% reduction in bullying.
• Teachers reported an improvement
in concentration.
• Improved parental engagement with
the introduction of Halal option.

10. DofE SCHOOL FOOD BID
Brief
• Support implementation of School Food Plan.
• £11.8 million funding for specialists to
increase school meal uptake.
Target
schools
• 5,000 target schools.
• Suggested eligibility criteria include low uptake
and high FSM.
Outcomes
• Increase uptake by a minimum of 5% in 5,000
primary and secondary schools by September
2015.

11. KEY SUCCESS CRITERIA
Head
teacher
The
customer
Whole school
approach

12. LUNCHTIME LEARNING
OPPORTUNITES
Improved
instant
recall.
E books
based on
Multiple
characters.
Reduced
food waste.
www.timestableplates.com
QR code
linked to
daily food
recipes.

13. PRE-SCHOOL TRANSITION TO
SUPPORT UFSM
Problem
• Children spend too much time in the
dining room.
• Children’s motor and social skills need
to be developed.
Solution
• Knife & fork usage transition campaign
between nursery and reception.

14. BID PROPOSITION
Create a consortium of SE Region and
London LAs and caterers to develop
lunchtime improvement programmes that
will increase school meal uptake in up to
100 target primary schools.

15. PROPOSED CONSORTIUM PARTNERS
Recipe for
Change
East Sussex
Brighton & Hove
Surrey
London LAs
Public Health
Public Health
LA Catering
LA Catering
LA Contracts
Management
Team
LA School Meals
Team
Babcock 4S
Chartwells
Eden
Caterers
Caterers

16. WORK PROGRAMME
Target school
briefings
Evaluation
Needs
assessment
Secure website
for data
Parent/pupils
workshops
Lunchtime
ambassadors
Systemic
lunchtime
changes

17. PARTNER RESPONSIBILITIES
Partners
Responsibilities
Recipe for Change Catalyst for Change.
Harnessing partners expertise and resources.
Schools
Sign a Service Level Agreement.
Appoint lunchtime ambassador to embed changes.
LA Catering
Identifying target schools.
School meal team to drive actions plans in partnership with
caterers and lunchtime ambassadors.
Capital investment where required.
Caterers
Operations team to implement action plans including
parent and pupil interventions.

18. FUNDING FOR AN LA WITH 20 SCHOOLS
Activity
Partner
DofE funding
Beneficiary
None
Target school briefings
Partner
funding
£2,000
Recipe for
Change
Needs assessments
LA (Contracts
Management
and/or Public
Health
£8,000
(Cash
contribution)
£8,000
Recipe for
Change
Parent lunches
Caterers
£2,400
(existing
budget)
None
Schools
Healthy workshops
Caterers
£2,000
(existing
budget)
None
Schools
None
£2,000
(Schools to apply
for funding)
Schools
Kitchen staff
curriculum support

19. FUNDING FOR AN LA WITH 20 SCHOOLS
Activity
Partner
DofE funding
Beneficiary
None
Lunchtime
ambassadors
Partner
funding
£10,000
Schools
Lunchtime resources
(bands, tablecloths
etc.)
LA & caterers
£2,000
(Existing
budget)
£2,000
Schools
Capital Investment
(kitchen / dining room
equipment)
LA
£10,000
(Existing
budget)
None
Schools
Project coordination
Recipe for
Change
£1,200
(Cash
contribution)
None
All partners
Secure website for
data collection
Recipe for
Change
£600
(Cash
contribution)
None
All partners

20. FUNDING FOR AN LA WITH 20 SCHOOLS
Activity
Partner
Partner
funding
DofE funding
Beneficiary
Evaluation
None
£2,000
Recipe for
Change
LA CASH
£8,000
RECIPE FOR
CHANGE CASH
LA EXISTING
BUDGET
TOTAL FOR 20
SCHS
TOTAL FOR 100
SCHS
£1,800
£16,400
£26,200
£26,000
£131,000
£130,000

21. NEXT STEPS
DofE bid
• Expressions of interest to be agreed.
• East Sussex and Brighton & Hove have
already expressed interested.
Times Table
Plates
•Sponsorship opportunity for LAs interested
in distributing plates to all schools.
•Discounted price for individual schools.
LA advice &
support
• Recipe for Change are happy to run school
briefing sessions on how to manage UFSM
capacity for LAs.