Agenda item

To consider an update on the School Food Plan.

Mrs Nicky Dennison, Public Health Specialist, presented a report on the School Food Plan, Free School Meals (FSM) uptake, Free School Breakfast uptake and fluoridated milk provision.

The School Food Plan had been developed by the Department of Education (DfE) to set the standards for all food served in schools. Although the Council could not enforce against the plan in schools the Department for Education (DfE) and the Food Standards agency had developed a programme of inspections for schools that would link food checks to the plan and benchmark them against it. Mrs Dennison also stated that the Council’s Catering Team provided food to thirty-one of Blackpool’s schools, which allowed greater influence over the food served in those locations. Where the service did not provide food it would be harder for the Council to influence standards, but the inspection programme would assist in giving a picture of their performance.

It was reported that in respect of FSM, uptake nationally was 65% of those who were eligible in maintained schools, this was a concern for the Council. Ms Dennison explained that the Council only had data for maintained schools, and that Academies would have their own data, but that all schools would be aware of those who would be eligible. Ms Lisa Arnold, Strategic Head of Service – Health and Wellbeing, added that the process of encouraging uptake varied across Blackpool. This complicated efforts to engage parents and highlight their child’s eligibility for a FSM.

Ensuring that those in receipt of FSM were not singled out when in schools was discussed. The Committee was informed that schools now operated a variety of electronic systems to pay for school meals with students using pay cards at tills. This meant that those using money from FSM would be indistinguishable from those not.

Free School Breakfast had been offered to all primary schools in Blackpool. The programme sought to ensure that the children would receive a healthy meal at the start of the school day. The initial roll out of the programme was being reviewed by Public Health with Mrs Dennison reporting that feedback was being sought from schools and parents. The outcome of this review would further influence how breakfasts were offered in the future and inform plans to introduce them into secondary school settings.

The uptake in fluoridated milk provision was discussed with Mrs Dennison reporting that since the lifting of Covid restrictions uptake had fallen. This was a concern with Ms Arnold stating that a number of schools had gone back to ordering non-fluoridated milk for their children. Consideration was therefore being given to how to re-engage schools and parents and encourage the uptake of fluoridated milk, with a possible opt out scheme instead of the current opt in approach. The benefits of fluoridated milk to children’s dental health was noted with the Committee querying how this could be monitored. Councillor Jo Farrell, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Community Health and Wellbeing, responded that the Adults Social Care and Health Scrutiny Community was undertaking a Dentistry Review that would be looking at this and other related issues.

Members raised a concern that the standard of school meals could fall due to the increase in costs associated with the cost of living crisis. Ms Arnold responded that the Catering Team was committed to a high standard of food provisions and that this would be maintained. While recognising the risk that the Catering Service could lose school contracts when tenders are due as private contracts often offered the service at a cheaper rate, Ms Arnold noted that private sector providers would also face similar challenges in relation to the rising costs.