Improving food in schools
Since 2003, school lunches in Scotland have undergone a transformation starting with the Hungry for Success initiative. 
The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007 and the Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008 build on the achievements of Hungry for Success by establishing standards for all food and drink in schools.
The focus is on getting the balance right and helping pupils make informed choices. A wide range of appealing healthy food and drink are promoted through marketing, education and active encouragement. The Government hopes that children and young people will be more inclined to opt for healthier choices, not only in school but also outside school.
An important aspect of this work has been extensive consultation, especially with the pupils themselves. Food manufacturers and the food industry have also been approached and changes have been made in developing products which comply with the new healthier standards.
Free School Lunches
Access to free school lunches is an important part of the school lunch service in Scotland. It is important that pupils entitled to free school lunches get them without fear of stigmatisation. They should not be made to feel different from those who pay nor be readily identified by others.
Who is eligible for free school lunches?
You can claim free school lunches for your children if you are receiving:
- Income Support (IS)
- Income-based Job Seeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Child Tax Credit (CTC), but not Working Tax Credit, and your income is less than £16,040 (as assessed by HMRC in 09/10)
- Both maximum child tax credit and maximum working tax credit and your income is under £6,420 (as assessed by HMRC in 09/10 )
If you are between 16 and 18 years old and receive any of these benefits in your own right, you can claim free school lunches for yourself.
You may also be eligible if you are an asylum seeker receiving support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
For more information on Child Tax Credit and Working Tax credit visit the Inland Revenue website.
Extensions to free school lunch entitlement
The Scottish Government has two jointly agreed commitments to extend entitlement to free school lunches in its concordat with local government.
Following the positive evaluation of the free school lunches trial carried out in 2007/08, legislation was passed in November 2008 to enable local authorities to provide free school lunches to all P1-3 pupils from August 2010. This will benefit approximately 118,000 pupils across Scotland.
The other commitment is to extend entitlement to free school lunches to pupils whose parents or carers are in receipt of both maximum working tax credit and maximum child tax credit from August 2009. Legislation to extend entitlement to these pupils has now been passed by the Scottish Parliament. This will benefit approximately 44,000 pupils across Scotland.
Fruit and breakfast initiatives
In addition to the work being carried out to improve school lunches, some local authorities and schools provide free fruit or breakfast clubs for pupils. To find out if either of these initiatives are available in your area, you should contact your local authority.