Primary school meals became a major issue in the general election after the Conservatives announced a plan to replace free school lunches for all infants with free breakfasts for all primary pupils.

Critics of the proposal said that it mimicked former prime minister Margaret Thatcher’s policy of scrapping free milk in schools, and pointed out that the funding allocated would amount to less than 7p a meal.

‘Food fuels learning’

In the exam season, breakfasts for secondary pupils also become very important. Studies have suggested that hunger affects students’ ability to learn. And new research by the British Nutrition Foundation shows that 14- to 16-year-old pupils eat a huge range of breakfasts. Asked what they had eaten on a particular day, the majority said they had consumed a drink of water, milk or fruit juice, or cereal.

But the foundation’s National Pupil Survey, which drew responses from more than 5,000 pupils across the UK, shows that only around a quarter had had bread/toast or fruit as part of their breakfast. Of the 14- to 16-year-olds surveyed, 1 per cent said they had eaten crisps, while 3 per cent said they had a chocolate bar as part of their breakfast.