Unhealthy school food 'fuels disruptive behaviour'

Most teachers believe unhealthy food at school can contribute to disruptive behaviour, new polling has found.

Nearly all teachers (85 per cent) say pupils’ diets affect their ability to concentrate, according to the Teacher Tapp survey for the Food Foundation.

The findings come as the government’s consultation on school food standards closed today, ahead of new rules expected to be confirmed in September.

The government set out proposals in April to overhaul school food, including banning deep-fried foods and removing fruit juice from menus.

The changes are designed to bring standards in line with the latest national nutrition advice and tackle concerns about high sugar intake and poor diets among children.

The final standards are due to be announced in September, when eligibility for free school meals (FSM) is expanded to all children in households on universal credit.

Schools ‘have vital role’

Some 87 per cent of 6,000 teachers surveyed say schools have a crucial role in ensuring that children from lower-income families can eat well during the school day.

This rose to 90 per cent among teachers working in schools with the highest levels of FSM eligibility.

Pointing to earlier findings, published in March, The Food Foundation said that 13 per cent of UK households with children experienced “food insecurity” in January 2026, affecting around 2.1 million children.

This made a nutritious lunchtime meal even more important for pupils who may otherwise struggle to eat well, it said.

A study by the charity found that in an average Reception class of 30 children in England, three will be living with obesity. By Year 6, this more than doubles.

Proper nutrition ‘vital for effective learning’

David Littlemore, executive headteacher at King’s Academy Prospect, a secondary school in Reading, Berkshire, where around 38 per cent of pupils are FSM-eligible, said food consumed during the school day “directly shapes the classroom environment”.

He added: “Teachers consistently observe that proper nutrition is a prerequisite for effective learning; when diets are high in sugar and ultra-processed ingredients, we see a direct correlation with disruptive behaviour and a drop in concentration.”

Under government plans, only a small number of drinks would be allowed, including water, milk and some low-sugar options in secondary schools.

Mr Littlemore said this was a “straightforward, necessary step” towards a more stable and focused learning environment.

Diets and attainment

Samantha Palin, a primary headteacher, said her school’s attainment had been “significantly above the national average” over the past three years, adding that while this was “never down to just one thing”, she believed nutritious food had played a part.

The school had also avoided an expected rise in accidents and fights when pupils lost access to their school field for a year and had to play in a more restricted space, she said.

“I think this was a direct impact of the positive atmosphere and environment in the school lunch hall, and because the children were not being fed sugary foods with preservatives and e-numbers,” Ms Palin added.

Calls for monitoring

Dr Hannah Brinsden, head of policy and advocacy at The Food Foundation, said the update to school food standards was a “pivotal moment” for children’s health, wellbeing and learning.

The government should put the new standards into legislation and publish a “strong monitoring and compliance package”, she said, to ensure food served in schools matches the ambition of the reforms.

Experts have previously voiced fears about how schools will fund the overhaul, as England’s school meal funding rate has only increased by 11 per cent since 2020.

The government has insisted that healthier options do not necessarily mean higher costs.