Food poverty, an insidious adversary, undermines the potential of countless pupils, leaving them hungry not just for knowledge but for the sustenance that fuels learning.
We are delighted to share the reflections of Fiona Fearon, Head of Policy & Research at The National Governance Association, on our recent virtual policy roundtable where we explored the relationship between food, wellbeing and academic success, and the equity issues which go hand-in-hand with this. Fiona has 16 years of frontline education experience, including leadership roles in pupil referral units, Fiona has first-hand insight into the impact of food poverty on children. As a member of the School Food Review Coalition, she has contributed to national guidance, training and policy development on equitable school food provision.
In the corridors of our schools, a silent crisis unfolds daily – one that gnaws at the very foundation of equitable education. Food poverty, an insidious adversary, undermines the potential of countless pupils, leaving them hungry not just for knowledge but for the sustenance that fuels learning.
Eligibility for free school meals (FSM) has been frozen at an annual household income of £7,400 (excluding benefits) since 2010. As a result, more children whose families are experiencing poverty are being denied free access to food at school. In fact, the latest data from the Child Poverty Action Group reveals that nine children in an average class of 30 are in poverty. Of those nine, three will not be eligible for FSM, and one of those who is eligible won’t be registered.
The previous government’s introduction of the ‘Ever-6’ policy, which extended FSM eligibility for six years after initial qualification, may have been well-intended. But recent Education Policy Institute analysis highlights how it further deepens disparities, with some children keeping their eligibility status despite increased parental income, while others in similarly low-income families do not qualify.
Outside of parents or carers registering their children for FSM, there is no systematic way to identify if a child is living in financial hardship – not until the symptoms emerge. A child too distracted by hunger to focus on a phonics lesson. An irritable teenager, unable to regulate their behaviour in a noisy classroom. A growing pile of dinner money debt that some schools quietly absorb, diverting funds from already stretched budgets, while others simply cannot afford to. Teachers and school leaders are left firefighting the consequences of a system failing to meet one of pupils’ most basic needs – food – before learning can even begin.
This reality is mirrored in findings from the National Governance Association’s (NGA) Annual Governance Survey, which show that one in five schools is now offering food bank provision – a figure that has risen significantly since 2019. Governing boards reported that more schools are also having to provide meals outside of term time, a stark reminder that hunger doesn’t take a holiday. These interventions are not part of a funded strategy – but an urgent response to growing levels of unmet need.
At FED’s recent roundtable on food poverty and inclusion, Nourishing Change – which supports a larger piece of work the FED is undertaking on Inclusion – we heard from Alex Hall, Food Director at Impact Food Group, who spoke candidly about the challenges of operating in a system where too many children fall through the cracks. He described the “heartbreaking” daily reality of watching pupils who hover just above the eligibility threshold – children clearly experiencing food insecurity – go without a meal. These are the pupils, he said, who “stand in line but can’t afford to buy anything.” From their vantage point in dining halls across the country, caterers are witnessing a crisis play out in real time: dysregulation, distress, and social exclusion, all rooted in hunger. Alex’s message was clear – catering providers can and want to be part of the solution, but leadership, policy alignment, and a shared moral imperative are essential to creating inclusive, equitable school food systems. This is where governance plays a vital role. Boards must provide oversight of school food provision, scrutinise its accessibility and impact, and hold leaders to account for ensuring no child is left out or left behind at lunchtime. To support this, NGA has developed an e-learning module on school food to help boards better understand their responsibilities and the difference effective governance can make.
One such school leader who has taken matters into their own hands is Russ Lawrance, the Chief Executive of Haringey Sixth Form College in Tottenham He faced the stark reality of students arriving hungry, sharing food, or skipping meals altogether. Russ boldly decided to introduce universal free college meals for all students – regardless of eligibility. He made the case to his board as one of responsibility, prompting a clear and deliberate commitment to act. The results have been striking: improved attendance, better behaviour, and a stronger sense of belonging across the college. “This isn’t just about food,” he explained, “it’s about fuelling learning and creating an environment where every student feels valued.” While others wait for top-down reform, his college has become a blueprint for what can happen when leadership is driven by values, not just budgets, demonstrating that it is within the board’s gift to be proactive in shaping and resourcing an inclusive food offer.
But the burden of food insecurity is not evenly shared. Schools in areas of higher deprivation face growing financial and emotional pressures, often absorbing these responsibilities with little additional resource or recognition. Meanwhile, other schools are simply not required to carry the same weight. This subtle imbalance risks entrenching divisions in the system, where those already serving pupils at the greatest disadvantage are left to do the most with the least.
There’s an urgency here that policy has yet to match. While schools continue to “just get on with it,” the absence of coordinated government action means that food poverty is being addressed in fragmented, unsustainable ways. And for every meal served, every system patched together, the long-term cost of inaction accumulates – not just in educational outcomes but in wellbeing, community cohesion, and trust in the system itself.
Too often, food poverty is framed narrowly – as a school issue, a budget issue, or a glitch in the benefit system. But to truly understand its impact, we must think sociologically. Food insecurity doesn’t happen in isolation; it sits at the intersection of health, housing, cultural identity, neurodiversity, and safeguarding. The absence of a joined-up system across education, social care, and health means families are overlooked by fragmented services – not because they’re invisible, but because no one is looking together. What’s needed is a more integrated approach to identifying and supporting children in need, one that recognises schools as part of a broader ecology of care. In this context, food becomes more than nourishment – it’s a stabiliser, a gateway to belonging. When every child can sit down and eat the same meal, without shame or difference, something powerful happens – inclusion is no longer a policy ambition, but a lived reality.
The system may be imperfect – fragmented, under-resourced, and slow to change – but that doesn’t mean school and trust leaders are powerless. With thoughtful oversight, a strong moral compass, and the willingness to ask the right questions, boards and leaders can create inclusive food cultures that protect dignity, promote belonging, and respond to actual need. You can’t fix the whole system – but you can make a real difference in your corner of it.