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CHAPTER 5: POTENTIAL HEALTH AND OTHER BENEFITS
Key points
The reaction to the introduction of the free school meal trial was overwhelmingly positive among all key stakeholder groups. The main reasons for this were that children were being offered a healthy lunch and the chance to try new foods; and parents saved money and did not have to try to make a varied and nutritionally balanced packed lunch on a daily basis.
The trial provided pupils with an opportunity to try new foods, resulting in pupils asking at home for foods they had tried at school. In some cases, these were healthier options.
Although pupils appeared to have a good awareness of healthy foods, there is no evidence that the trial had impacted upon this. When deciding what to eat, children tend to pick what they like the taste of. Choosing healthier options is likely to come as a result of them trying and enjoying new foods. Therefore, evidence that the trial acted as a catalyst for pupils' willingness to try new foods is a positive finding.
There was some evidence that the trial had impacted positively on the home environment of pupils. In particular, it had resulted in parents talking about food with their children more often and some parents noted that children were more confident in discussing their food preferences.
In turn, some parents were keen to make meals for their children that they had enjoyed at school but did not always know how to make them. Providing recipe cards or books of school recipes was suggested as a solution.
Teachers did not report any behavioural changes in pupils at lunchtime or in afternoon classes.
Although there was evidence that pupils were trying new foods and that some were asking for new foods at home, including healthier options, the evidence is unclear on how many children were doing so and the extent to which children were eating more healthily at home. On other potential benefits such as whether parents felt they knew more about healthy foods and were buying healthier foods for the home, the evidence is also unclear.
5.1 Given the short term nature of the trial, the evaluation was not intended to provide a robust evaluation of the impact on pupils' nutritional intake, health, behaviour or educational attainment. Instead the evaluation looked at early perceptions of health and other benefits such as:
- pupil and parent attitudes towards school meals and healthy eating
- parent and teacher perceptions of any social or behavioural changes in children
- eating behaviour among pupils
- the impact of the trial on the home and on food choices for the rest of the family.
Pupil and parent attitudes towards healthy eating and school meals
Attitudes to healthy eating
5.2 It was apparent that pupils had an awareness of healthy eating; most knew that fruit and vegetables were healthy foods, that some foods, such as pizza, were sometimes healthy and sometimes not, depending on the toppings, and that crisps and sweets were less healthy foods. The topic had already been included in the school curriculum as part of initiatives such as Hungry for Success and Health Promoting Schools. There was no indication that the free school meal trial had significantly enhanced pupils' levels of knowledge about healthy eating. However, the trial was seen by teaching staff as a welcome addition to the curriculum which fitted in with the ongoing work and kept the issues prominent in pupils' minds.
"We had been involved in the healthy lunch, the healthy diet and we have a healthy eating school issue going on and so it was ideal for us…In a way it has helped because we were looking at healthy diets and so on. More children now are sampling the healthy foods in the dining hall, so they know what they are talking about when we are looking at curriculum programmes."
Headteacher
Attitudes towards school meals
5.3 It was clear from the qualitative research that school meals were viewed positively overall by pupils and parents: pupils generally enjoyed the meals and parents felt that they were healthy and of high quality. Many parents whose children did not take free school meals were, nonetheless, positive about them; their children did not take them because they were 'too fussy' rather than because parents did not want them to.
5.4 However, there was a view held by some, particularly among those in the least deprived areas, that the meals were not actually particularly healthy nor high quality; in fact, some felt that the packed lunches that they had given their child before the trial were healthier than the school lunches. Other criticisms of the meals included items on the menu, for example spicy foods, not being suitable for young children and kitchens running out of the most popular options on a particular day, meaning that children might have to take something that they did not like. However, these issues had been present before the trial.
5.5 The generally positive views of school meals were reiterated in the quantitative survey, with parents listing I know they will get a healthy lunch and they like the food provided among their top reasons for their child taking school meals. Parents also felt that their children were enjoying school meals more than they had been before the introduction of the trial. As figure 5.1 shows, almost half (48%) of all parents agreed that their child now likes/enjoys school meals more. As might be expected, this figure is highest among those who took school meals more often during the trial than they did before its introduction (61%). However, a third of parents (34%) whose children had not increased the number of school meals they had felt that their child now likes/enjoys school meals more. As other parts of the evaluation did not suggest that the quality of school meals had changed since the introduction of the trial, it is possible that other factors, such as having more of their friends taking school meals, are influencing enjoyment.
Figure 5.1: Children's enjoyment of school meals
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that the introduction of free school
meals in October 2007, has meant your child…
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
5.6 Figure 5.2 shows that parents in the most deprived areas were more likely to say that their child likes/enjoys school meals more than they did before the introduction of the trial. There is no obvious reason for this difference. As discussed in more detail in the section on behavioural change below, it might be that those in deprived areas were over-reporting the benefits of the trial in the hope that it continues.
Figure 5.2 Children's enjoyment of school meals by deprivation
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
Attitudes towards the free school meal trial
5.7 The reaction to the free school meal trial was overwhelmingly positive. Parents, along with headteachers, teachers and catering staff, commented on the wider benefits of the trial. These included the fact that all children were being offered a healthy lunch as well as being able to try new foods.
"Children getting a healthy lunch at lunch time, that would maybe have had a packed lunch that wouldn't have been so healthy, a lot of snacks, a lot of chocolate, a lot of inappropriate food, so the majority of children are getting a healthy lunch. Some children are getting a healthy meal and it is their only healthy meal in a day. In an area like this, so that has been good. Some children also getting the opportunity to taste foods that they may not have had the chance to taste. They're the three main benefits I would say."
Parent
5.8 Pupils were enjoying the meals and parents encouraged their children to take them. Parents commented on the time and financial savings it had afforded them and said that it had eased some of the pressures of trying to make a varied and nutritionally balanced packed lunch on a daily basis. While pupils discussed the meals, they focused on the food and had little awareness or interest in the fact that they were being provided free.
"For me it has been a Godsend. I just feel as though I don't need to worry about what I'm putting in, I don't need to worry about whether or not it is balanced, I don't need to spend time at night making up packed lunches for him to say, 'I don't really want that, can I have that?'"
Parent
5.9 Although the stigma attached to receiving free school meals was not seen as a particular issue in primary school, it was mentioned. The free school meal trial was viewed positively in light of the fact that it eliminated the possibility of stigmatisation.
"Although I would have said we have always tried to be sensitive to it, you don't try to scream from the roof tops, "oh you're a free meal". There is something much nicer about everybody just being exactly the same in Primary 1 to 3 and I don't know how much the children notice it, but I know, yes it does seem nicer that everybody is on a level playing field."
Headteacher
5.10 The only negative point raised, on a small number of occasions, was the wider financial implications of the trial; there was a view that it is not the best use of public money as there are many people who can easily afford to pay for their child's lunch and there was a concern that other parts of the budget may suffer as a result.
"Plus in this kind of area, I don't know I'm not sure of the value of our children getting free meals, because they all come from fairly affluent homes. Quite frankly their parents could afford to pay for a meal."
Parent
"I suppose my concerns would be the financial implications of it and some budget has to suffer for this."
Headteacher
Parent and teacher perceptions of any social or behavioural changes in children
5.11 As mentioned above, due to the short time scale of the trial, the evaluation did not seek to directly measure changes in attainment or behaviour of pupils. However, parents, teachers, headteachers and canteen staff were asked in the qualitative discussions whether they had observed any behavioural changes in the children since the start of the trial. There were no reported changes in behaviour in the dining hall, the classroom or the home.
"I would say the behaviour and everything is just more or less the same as it always was."
Headteacher
5.12 However, some parents had noticed some social changes in their children. This tended to be an increased level of confidence as a result of being able to choose what they would like to have for lunch:
"He chooses when we go through the menu through the week. He says "I'll have café lunch then and café lunch then, but I'll take packed lunch in when there is nothing on the menu that I want." That kind of sense of empowerment for him is really important rather than shoving it down in front of him saying, "You'll eat that"."
Parent
5.13 The quantitative survey of parents also asked for perceptions of any behavioural changes, both after school and at meal times, and a small proportion of parents had noticed improvements in behaviour. As figure 5.3 shows, 15% agreed that since the introduction of free school meals their child had been better behaved after school and 23% agreed that their child had been better behaved at meal times. There were no significant differences in terms of children's lunch arrangements before and during the trial.
Figure 5.3: Parents' perceptions of changes in their children's behaviour
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that the introduction of free school meals in October 2007, has meant your child…
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
5.14 There are several possible reasons as to why perceived behavioural changes are reported irrespective of lunch arrangements before and during the trial. Firstly, changes in behaviour could simply be a result of the child maturing. Secondly, the perceived changes could be attributable to the trial; it might be that there has been a change in, for example, the atmosphere in the dining room or school might be placing more emphasis on behaviour at lunch time. However, the qualitative research among those present in the dining hall during lunch did not support this. Lastly, some parents may have (consciously or unconsciously) over-reported the benefits of the trial, under the impression that doing so would increase the likelihood of the continuation of free school meals for their child. While the letter accompanying the questionnaire clearly stated that their individual response would not be used to decide whether the trial was rolled out in their child's school, it is more difficult to reassure parents through a postal questionnaire than through face to face discussions. It is, therefore, possible that this could explain the discrepancy in the small but significant number of parents responding to the questionnaire reporting behavioural changes and the lack of any supporting evidence from the qualitative research.
5.15 This is perhaps further supported by the differences in perceived behavioural changes across different levels of deprivation. As figure 5.4 shows, those in the most deprived areas were significantly more likely to have noticed changes in the behaviour of their children. It is likely that this group would be most worried about the trial not continuing due to the fact that they are less able to afford to pay for their children to have a school lunch or a healthy packed lunch. 22
Figure 5.4: Parents' perceptions of changes in their children's behaviour by deprivation
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that the introduction of free school meals in October 2007, has meant your child…
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
5.16 The possibility of over-reporting the benefits of the free school meal trial should be borne in mind when interpreting the results of the parents' survey in the remainder of this chapter. Areas where the evidence is inconclusive ( e.g. where the qualitative research with parents does not support the survey results or where the survey results are similar for those taking schools meals the same amount and those taking meals more), and where over-reporting the benefits is a plausible explanation, have been highlighted.
Eating behaviour among pupils
Willingness to try new foods
5.17 For many parents, the most noticeable change in their child as a result of the trial was a willingness to try new foods. In part this was simply attributed to the school lunch menu offering a wide range of choices, many of which were not dishes they currently made for their child. However, it was suggested that the different context of the school meals setting, as opposed to the home, exerted a positive influence on their willingness to try new foods. It was common for parents, and those teachers present in the dining room, to feel that children were trying things that they would not have tried at home, possibly as a result of seeing their friends eating certain foods and then wanting to try them too.
"I think the children, the majority, are enjoying their food and I think they talk to each other about it and actually, you get some positive peer pressure in a way, when they see their pal trying something and they say that was really good and then maybe next time they'll try it."
Headteacher
5.18 The fact that the meals have been provided free has been the catalyst for this willingness to try new foods; before the trial parents would not have been willing to pay for a meal that they were unsure their child would eat. The trial gave pupils the opportunity to try different options on the menu in order to see what they liked and to then choose which days that they would have a school meal.
"Before it was free she would go in on the day it was fish and chips, that was about it and it meant that she, for a while, went in every day to try everything, to see what she liked and didn't like, and we wouldn't have done that if we had to pay for it."
Parent
5.19 This evidence from the qualitative research was backed up by the results of the quantitative survey of parents. As figure 5.5 shows, almost half (45%) of all parents thought that their child has been more willing to try new foods since the introduction of the free school meals trial.
5.20 Analysing the results by lunch arrangements before and during the trial indicates that the trial, as opposed to normal developmental changes alone, has impacted on willingness to try new foods; those whose children took school meals more frequently than they did before the trial were more likely to have noticed this change in their child than those who had not changed their lunch arrangements or took school meals less often than they did pre trial (53% versus 36%).
Figure 5.5: Willingness to try new foods by change in lunch arrangements
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that the introduction of free school meals in October 2007, has meant your child…
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
5.21 The qualitative research indicated that not all parents had observed such changes in their child's willingness to try new foods; some, who tended to be from the least deprived areas, said that their child had always eaten a varied and healthy diet at home. Again, this was echoed in the quantitative research among parents; there were significant differences in willingness to try new foods by deprivation with a significantly higher proportion of those in the most deprived areas having noticed this change in their child (56% versus 34% in the least deprived areas, figure 5.6).
Figure 5.6: Willingness to try new foods by deprivation
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that the introduction of free school meals in October 2007, has meant your child…
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
5.22 Although children had been trying a wider variety of foods and have an awareness of which foods are healthy and which are not so healthy, there was little evidence from the qualitative research that they use this knowledge when deciding which school meal option to choose. Instead, children would make their decision on the basis of which meal they liked best. There was also evidence of the healthiest parts of the meals, usually vegetables, not being eaten. This had happened before the trial and levels of food wastage were not reported to have changed proportionally since the trial was introduced.
"Anything green really, or like with the soup if it is vegetable soup, they'll dip their roll in and dip their roll in, until all is left is the vegetables in the bottom and then that goes in the bin."
Dining room supervisor
5.23 The effects of trying new foods at school did transfer to the home with pupils telling their parents what they had eaten for their lunch and then being happy to eat it at home in future, and some going a step further and asking their parent for things that they have enjoyed at school. Parents tended to be pleased that their children were asking for new foods and would make an effort to cater for their requests.
"I would say so, fruits and that because she is eating different things in here and there is a few times she's come home and said yes, I'll have that because I've had that at school."
Parent
"See if she said tomorrow "Can I have tattie soup?" I would make tattie soup because she has asked for it."
Parent
5.24 While many parents were keen to try and build on the fact that their children were trying a range of foods by making them at home, it was noted that it is not necessarily easy to replicate what they have eaten at school. Even if parents did know how to make the meal, it was often 'not the same' as the way that they had enjoyed it at school. Providing recipe cards for parents was suggested as a solution to this: something one school had already successfully done.
"The only thing that springs to mind is that there are certain things on the menu that my wee boy just loves and I don't know how to make them…I wouldn't mind knowing how to cook it because he loves it. … if they are going to bring out a new one, a completely different range of stuff on it, then give me the recipe for some…"
Parent
Eating healthier foods
5.25 While parents did not explicitly comment that it was healthier foods in particular that their children were asking for, this was implicit as they were talking about foods they had enjoyed as part of a nutritionally balanced school meal. Additionally, there was no evidence to suggest that children were asking for more junk food at home as a result of the trial: there was a concern that the trial might negatively impact upon this with pupils eating less healthily at home because they had eaten healthily at lunch time.
Researcher: "Do you find there is any difference where she is maybe asking for more junk food or less junk food?"
"Less, she's eating a lot more fruit and stuff now before she was eating hardly anything."
Parent
5.26 The findings from the quantitative survey are broadly consistent with those of the qualitative research; around a third (34%) of parents agreed that their child is asking for more healthy foods at home and a similar proportion (36%) agreed that their child was eating more healthily at home. Those whose children took school meals more often than they did before the trial started were slightly more likely than others to say that their child eats more healthily at home (figure 5.7) but there was no significant difference in terms of asking for healthier foods at home. Very small proportions reported their children eating less healthily at home (5%) and asking for more junk food since the introduction of the trial (8%). This was not affected by lunch arrangements before and during the trial.
Figure 5.7: Children's eating behaviour at home by change in lunch arrangements
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that the introduction of free school meals in October 2007, has meant your child…
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
5.27 Once more there were significant differences by deprivation with those in the most deprived areas most likely to agree with all statements - both positive and negative (figure 5.8). The qualitative research with parents suggested that those in the least deprived areas were already eating more healthily and the trial therefore had less potential to improve their eating habits. This might explain the findings from the quantitative survey, that those in the most deprived areas were more likely to have noticed a positive change in their child's eating habits. The reasons for the higher, but still very low, proportion of parents in deprived areas agreeing that their child has developed less healthy eating habits at home since the trial is unclear; one possibility is that this group were having a less healthy packed lunch pre trial so are asking for the types of foods that they have not been getting since changing to school lunches.
Figure 5.8: Children's eating behaviour at home by deprivation (all parents)
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that the introduction of free school meals in October 2007, has meant your child…
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
The impact of the trial on the home and on food choices for the rest of the family
Discussions about food
5.28 Both the qualitative research and the quantitative survey of parents revealed that the introduction of the trial has resulted in parents talking about food with their children more often. It was common for parents to report sitting down and going through the menus with their children to choose their meals for the week. Additionally, and as discussed above, children would often tell their parents about foods they have enjoyed at school. As shown in figure 5.9, almost half (49%) of all parents who completed the survey agreed that they talk more about food with their children since the introduction of the trial. This change is particularly prevalent among those whose children took more school meals during the trial than they did pre trial (57% versus 41% of those who took school meals as often or less often than they did pre trial).
Figure 5.9: Discussion about food by change in lunch arrangements
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that the introduction of free school meals in October 2007, has meant you…
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
5.29 As with other benefits, the trial has reportedly had the greatest effect on those in the most deprived areas. As shown in figure 5.10, 57% of parents in the most deprived areas reported talking to their child about food more since the introduction of the trial, compared to 48% in the mid deprived areas and 45% from the least deprived areas.
Figure 5.10: Discussion about food by deprivation
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that the introduction of free school meals in October 2007, has meant you…
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
Parents' knowledge and purchase of healthy foods
5.30 Overall, the qualitative research indicated that parents had not made many changes to the eating arrangements in the home, although, as reported earlier, they would try and make meals that their children had enjoyed at school. The quantitative survey of parents, on the other hand, did suggest that there may have been some impact on the home; 30% of parents said they felt that they knew more about healthy foods than they did before the trial and the same proportion reported that they had gone one step further and were buying healthier foods for the home. However, this was not affected by changes in lunch arrangements and the possibility of parents over-reporting the benefits should be borne in mind.
5.31 Deprivation impacted upon both of these aspects. As shown in figure 5.11, a significantly higher proportion of those in the most deprived areas reported a positive change in their knowledge and purchase of healthier foods; 45% of those in the most deprived areas reported that their knowledge of healthy foods had increased, compared with just 13% of those in the least deprived areas, and 35% of those in the most deprived areas reported buying healthier foods for the home compared with 16% in the least deprived areas. The findings from the qualitative research would suggest that this might be explained by the differing baselines across the levels of deprivation; those in the least deprived areas tended to feel that they were already very knowledgeable about healthy eating and were already buying very healthy foods for the home. Again, however, there is the possibility that parents in deprived areas may have been more likely to over-report the benefits and therefore the evidence is unclear.
Figure 5.11: Knowledge and purchase of healthy foods by deprivation
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that the introduction of free school meals in October 2007, has meant you…
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
Eating less healthily at home?
5.33 A potential negative aspect of the trial would be that parents would feel less pressure to feed their children healthily at home. The qualitative phase of the evaluation did not provide any evidence of this. However, the results of the quantitative survey of parents did reveal that that almost one in five parents (18%) feel less pressure to make their child eat healthy foods at home since the introduction of the trial. However, the proportion of parents agreeing was no higher among those whose children had taken school meals more often since the introduction of the trial, which is puzzling.
5.34 At first glance, it is concerning that 18% of parents (which increases to 20% among those in the most deprived areas, Figure 5.12), feel less pressure to feed their child less healthy foods at home. However, further exploration of the data shows that this group also report that their child is eating more healthily at home; in fact, just 1% of all parents said they felt less pressure and said that their child is not eating more healthy foods. Therefore, this could be a positive finding because children's willingness to try more foods means that parents do not have to try to make them eat healthy foods and therefore parents feel less pressure.
5.35 Just a small proportion (7% overall and rising to 13% in the most deprived area) reported "buying more treats (less healthy foods)" for the home. Furthermore, just 1% of all parents reported that they are "buying more treats (less healthy foods)" for the home and that their child is eating less healthy foods at home.
Figure 5.12: Relieving the pressures of making children eat healthily at home by deprivation
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that the introduction of free school meals in October 2007, has meant you…
Base: parents (926), 11th February - 15th April 2008
Source: Ipsos MORI
Impact on P4-P7 children
5.36 The results of the quantitative survey of parents show that just a small proportion have changed arrangements for their P4-P7 children. Of those with other children in the household, 84% have not made changes to their lunch arrangements. This is consistent with the uptake data which showed a small increase in the number of P4-P7 children having school meals.
5.37 The qualitative research helps to explain why some parents have made changes to lunch arrangements for their P4-P7 children. Reasons provided include P4-P7 children seeing their younger siblings having school meals and wanting to try it too and parents feeling that they can afford for one child to go so now send the elder one as well.
" So what made him [p4 sibling] change?"
"I think because his sister was going he decided he was going to try them as well. But he just went on certain days. If it was pizza he would go then and maybe Spaghetti Bolognese he would go for that, but that was about it."
Parent
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