1. Background to the Study
I Introduction
1. Background to the study
1.1 The second phase of the Fair Funding initiative for schools was introduced in 2000 and
the biggest single item delegated to secondary schools at that time was school meals
funding. Whilst grant maintained secondary schools had had responsibility for school
meals for some time, secondary schools automatically received delegated funding under
the new regulations. Many LEAs delegated school meals funding to all schools,
including primary and special schools. In LEAs that did not adopt universal delegation
to all schools, primary and special schools could opt to receive meal funding if they
believed it would be advantageous. Delegating funds for school meals to schools
transferred to the governing body the statutory requirements to supply free school
meals to eligible pupils, paid meals on request and compliance with various nutritional
standards.
1.2 The specific objectives of this study were to:
• identify the difficulties involved in moving to delegated funding, and to explore the
strategies which LEAs and schools employed to ensure successful outcomes to
delegation.
• identify examples of best practice both in administration and delivery in the process
of delegation of budgets.
• look at the support and monitoring school staff and governors received to assist the
provision of meals.
• investigate the impact of the shift to delegated school meals funding on nutritional
standards and the quality of food provision in school.
The research
1.3 The study, undertaken between January and June 2003, was divided into three principal
strands of research:
• Strand 1: Interviews with national bodies and interest groups with special interest
or responsibility for school meals
• Strand 2: A review of delegation issues and practices in a sample of LEAs
• Strand 3: Case studies conducted in a sample of primary and secondary schools
Strand 1 National bodies and interest groups
1.4 Representatives from ten interest groups were contacted and interviewed for the study.
These included a wide range of national bodies with a specific interest in diet and school
meals provision, such as British Dietetics Association, Health Education Trust, and
National Heart Forum. Children’s charities that have conducted work on school meals
were also approached. Interviews were also conducted with catering organisations
(Unison and Local Authority Caterers Association) together with representatives of
private catering companies.