New minimum nutritional standards for school food came into force for primary schools in September 2008 and will be applied to secondary schools in September 2009. Government has announced £650m ring-fenced funding for school lunches by 2011 to subsidise healthy ingredients and invest in training and in improving kitchens. The recent School Food Trust/ LACA survey showed the first rise in the number of primary school children eating school meals since healthier meals were introduced. In the face of challenges of rising food costs, this conference provided practical insights into achieving the new standards and increasing take-up of school meals by effectively engaging parents, reaching BME children and families and developing a whole school approach to provision and learning.

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