Improving food in schools
Since 2003, school lunches in Scotland have undergone a transformation.
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 2003. Please note that the nutritional standards set out in Hungry for Success 2003 have been superseded by the 2008 Regulations.
Along with the Act and Regs, Curriculum for Excellence forms part of a package of measures aimed at 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.
Free School Lunches
Access to free school lunches is an important part of the school lunch service in Scotland. Local authorities must promote the uptake of free school meals amongst those currently eligible. It is important that pupils entitled to free school lunches get them without fear of stigmatisation.
You can claim free school lunches for your children if you are receiving:
- Income Support (IS)
- Income-based Job Seeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Any income related element of Employment and Support Allowance
- Child Tax Credit (CTC), but not Working Tax Credit, and your income is less than £15,910
- Both maximum child tax credit and maximum working tax credit and your income is under £6420
- Support under Part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Universal Credit
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.
For more information about benefits that you may be entitled to, please visit Gov.uk.
Local Initiatives for free food and drink
In an effort to ensure that children and young people get access to healthy nutritious food at school, some local authorities and schools use the powers that they have to provide free breakfasts, free lunches, free fruit or free milk to some children and young people for whom they are responsible. For more information about local initiatives in your area, you should contact your local authority.