National School Meals Survey 2007

NATIONAL SCHOOL MEALS SURVEY 2007

During 2005 and into 2006, school caterers were facing their worst nightmare. On the one hand, there was the plan to introduce tougher nutritional standards, which called for more meals cooked from scratch, and on the other, the service was experiencing declining school meal numbers, poor parental perceptions and flagging morale amongst frontline kitchen staff attributed to negative media coverage of school meals in the wake of the Jamie Oliver programmes.

Since that time, school caterers have experienced significant challenges in delivering a school meals service all of which has greatly impacted on school meal uptake in both Primary and Secondary Schools. Initially, in early 2005, parents reacted to the effect of the Jamie Oliver TV Programmes and then subsequently, the new Food-based Standards for School Lunches which came into force in 2006, has seen the introduction of healthier menus and the removal of the popular snack foods from lunchtime dining rooms.

The research says three-quarters of schools have experienced a fall in school meals uptake with an average fall of 17% since 2004. This leaves total meal uptake of 35% at secondary level (down from 42% in 2003/04), the lowest level since 1944.

LACA chair Sandra Russell said: "We cannot expect to reverse an embedded eating culture overnight, nor can we convert teenagers to a healthier regime by force. We are in danger of the secondary-school meals service fragmenting or dying altogether if we are not careful."

However, there was better news for catering in primary schools, where the research suggests the decline may have been arrested, with a fall in uptake this year of just 7% this year, compared with 12% in 2005/06. Total meal uptake at primary level now stands at 40%.

The School Food Trust, the body set up by the Government in 2005 to promote the new school meals guidelines, said the situation was not as bad as LACA claimed, but admitted that its own research revealed a 12% decline in uptake over the past year.

Local Authority Caterers Association

LACA is the professional body representing 1000 catering managers and suppliers who provide catering services to all sectors of Local Authorities in England, Wales and Scotland.

Local authority caterers are responsible for providing more than 2.5 million school meals a day, civic catering such as town halls and leisure centres, social services catering such as residential homes for the elderly, day centres and meals on wheels.

LACA is a major Government consultee on catering related issues and provides its members with information on key industry developments, Government legislation and policies affecting the local authority catering sector.

LACA supports its membership by creating networking opportunities for the exchange of views and information by holding briefings, regional meetings and an annual conference.

LACA MISSION STATEMENT

LACA aims to achieve high standards of professionalism in local authority catering and aims to provide a network of support to all Members and to be the leading consultative body to the government and other agencies.

LACA Commentary

Over the last few years,many school caterers have experienced significant challenges in delivering a school meals service as a result of the reaction from parents over the Jamie Oliver TV series in 2005 and then subsequently, the introduction of new Foodbased Standards for School Lunches in 2006.

School meal numbers have dropped substantially in some areas across both Primary and Secondary Schools. However, LACA’s 2007 Survey does now show slight evidence of recovery in Primary School meal uptake, which is an encouraging sign, but the picture for Secondary Schools appears to be bleaker. Some are reporting as much as a 30% drop in uptake whilst the national average is 17%.

Our 2007 Survey findings confirmed the feedback LACA had been receiving from its Members over the past year and reflects our worst fears about the future viability of the school meals service in our Secondary Schools. Whilst LACA feels that the Primary sector is slowly recovering,we are in danger of witnessing a fragmentation of the Secondary school meals service, or even its demise, unless we allow common sense to prevail.

School caterers are currently being expected to provide what is essentially a welfare service whilst still endeavouring to operate as a commercial venture. Although LACA and its Members are totally supportive of the long term aims of the New School Food Standards coming into force, we believe that such radical changes to young people’s dietary habits are too draconian and the speed of their introduction is too fast. LACA cannot expect to reverse an embedded eating culture nor can we expect to convert teenagers to a healthier regime by force overnight. We need to take a more long term view of the transformation agenda.

The service is under immense pressure and already being seen by many private contractors as a non-viable operation. LACA’s concern is that this may well be the case too for public sector caterers. It is not inconceivable that local authorities would consider abandoning the service as budgets are unable to sustain the costs involved with the introduction of the New School Food Standards, particularly if Secondary students can continue to obtain, on the way to school and in break times, the food and drink items banned in school.

The support of the Head Teacher in applying a whole school policy is essential but we also need to see a more realistic approach and timetable for change, particularly within Secondary Schools. This needs to build in greater allowance for nutritional education and the opportunity for young people to appreciate for themselves the need for a healthier diet and lifestyle.

LACA believes that a realistic commercial, social and educational environment, achieved through the support of HeadTeachers,Parents and Local Authorities is needed to enable them to meet their commitment to provide nutritious and acceptable meals to students.

Meal Numbers,Uptake and Pricing

60% of Local Authorities (LA) provide catering to schools themselves; 30% are by private contractor; 7% have only a limited service and 3% are self operated by schools.

Pupil numbers on roll in 2006 were 4.2 million in Primary Schools and 3.3 million in Secondary Schools.

In Primary Schools the number eligible for free school meals has dropped from 17.3% to 15.9% and the uptake from 14.2% to 13.1%.

In Secondary Schools the number eligible for free school meals dropped from 14.4% to 13.1% and the uptake from 10.6% to 9.6%.

Across the country,83% of pupils take up their free meal entitlement in Primary Schools, but only 73% take up their entitlement in Secondary Schools. This means that over 1/4 million children per day who are entitled to free meals don’t take them up.

The lowest entitlement in Primaries is in Wokingham at 4.3% (Rutland 4.1%) and in Secondaries Windsor & Maidenhead at 4.1% (3.2% Wokingham). The highest being in Tower Hamlets with 52.4% (52.7%) in Primaries and 58.8% (62%) in Secondaries.

In 2006/7, LACA members supplied meals to some 40% (43%) of pupils in Primary Schools, and 35% (42%) in Secondary Schools.

Effect on Meal Numbers

Since the Jamie Oliver programme and the introduction of the 2006 Food-based Standards, a decrease in meal numbers has been seen in over 75% of authorities. The decrease reported by LACA members averaged 12% but has now reduced to an average of 7%. In Secondary Schools although decreases of over 30% are still being experienced, particularly where vending machines have been removed, the average decrease reported by respondents is 17%.

Total Meal Uptake
	Primary	Secondary
2003/4	43%	42%
2006/7	40%	35%
Decrease	7%	17%

Results

The average meal selling price to parents as at April 2007 for a Primary School pupil was £1.64 (£1.37) being an increase of 20% since 2003 with the lowest price charged being £1.40 in Sefton and Greenwich (£1.10 Bradford and Lewisham). The highest was £1.95 in Wandsworth (£1.55 in Cumbria, Richmond and Tower Hamlets).

Selling Price of a Primary School Meal
	Highest	Lowest	Mean Average
2003/4	£1.55	£1.10	£1.37
2006/7	£1.95	£1.40	£1.64
Increase	26%	27%	20%

In Secondary Schools the average spend in Cash Cafeterias has dropped from £1.18 to 97p per pupil on roll.

Cost of the Service

In 56% of Local Authorities the Primary pupils meals are either subsidised by the Council or the school. Where it is subsidised, the highest subsidy is 67p per meal and the average is 43p.

Whereas in 2003 nearly all LA caterers broke even or made a small surplus, which was re-invested in the catering service, now over 91% of Local Authority caterers either lose money or just break even on the service they are providing. This previous contribution went some way to paying for the cost of utilities, heavy equipment and premises, the costs of which are paid for by either the school or the LA.

Budgeted Trading Out-turn for Respondents
	Forecast 2006/7	Forecast 2007/8
Surplus	9%	7%
Break Even	26%	42%
Deficit	65%	51%

Over 50% of school kitchens need capital investment and over 10% need to be completely rebuilt.

The average food cost for a Primary meal is now 60p (40p) and for Secondary Schools 74p (56p). This shows an increase spend on ‘food on the plate’ of 50% in Primary and 32% in Secondary Schools.

The labour cost for producing a school meal is £1.01 in Primary Schools and 92p in Secondary Schools.

The Average Pay Rates are
General Assistants	£6.41
Assistant Cooks	£6.91
Cooks	£7.02
Primary School Head Cook	£7.76
Secondary School Head Cook/ Catering Manager	£8.46

There are around 90,000 predominately female staff employed in the meal service.

In 2004 the Government announced funding to Local Authorities to partially finance the additional cost of introducing the new 2006 school meals standards. 40% of LA used this money to reduce their deficit and 39% used it to employ extra labour. Of the proposed future funding 56% anticipate using the money to further subsidise food costs and 41% believe they will use it for the additional labour that will be required to produce the new menus.

Of Local Authority caterers, 68% (67%) have IIP; Chartermark 16% (16%); Hospitality Assured 25% (18%) and ISO 9002 26% (26%).

In Primary Schools, caterers provide a breakfast service in less than 10% of schools.
Less than 1% of those caterers surveyed provide any after school catering services.
50% of LA surveyed provide free milk in Primary Schools.

The total market size for school meals is just under £1b. School meal providers spend over £350m (£360m) on food, £19m (£25m) a year on heavy equipment and over £6m (£8m) a year on light equipment. Up to 3.5% (3%) of payroll is spent on training.

Background to the Survey

LACA is pleased to present the findings of its second National School Meals Survey following the comprehensive survey that was carried out in 2004.

Since that time the school catering service has seen:

• the effects of the Jamie Oliver programme;
• the formation of the School Food Trust;
• the introduction of new Food-based Standards in 2006;
• the forthcoming introduction of restrictions on food that can be served at times other than lunch, such as breakfast and mid-morning break;
• and shortly, the proposed introduction of Nutrient-based Standards in 2008/9.

We have also seen conflicting reports on the effect that these events have had on the school meals service and LACA believes that, as the leading professional body representing the majority of front line school meal providers, it is in the best position to provide a definitive insight into the dynamics of the school meals market.

Through its extensive membership base, LACA has access to the most reliable inside track on the latest trends and developments in education catering. The Local Authority Caterers Association represents catering managers in both local authority and private sector catering. Of the 150 Local Authorities (LA) in England, LACA members are responsible for the services in 135, over 90% of all meals served.

The results of this survey are based on the responses of 94 LACA member authorities, who are responsible for either the supply or the commissioning of meal services, who were asked to take part in this survey during May – June 2007. The results of the survey cover services provided by private contractors, council direct service organisations and, where possible, schools who operate their own catering. Source information on roll numbers was taken from the figures provided by the DfES based on the Census taken in January 2007.