School Food Standards – free training

Governing boards have a legal duty to make sure the School Food Standards are followed and play a key role in creating a positive whole school food culture; essential to fulfilling the board’s wider statutory duty to support the health and wellbeing of pupils.

The Department for Education (DfE) recommends that all governors work with the senior leadership team to develop a whole school food policy that sets out the school’s approach to its provision of food, food education (including practical cooking), the role of the catering team as part of the wider school team and the school’s strategy to increase the take-up of school lunches.

To improve understanding of the school food standards and give governing boards confidence to hold their school leaders to account on their whole school approach to food, the DfE, along with National Governance Association, are running a pilot online training course on school food for governors and trustees. This is a targeted online training programme, designed to provide governors and trustees with the skills and expertise to understand their responsibilities concerning school food and to develop and champion their own whole school approach to food. The training is available to all, including non NGA members and is free to complete.