Good news... and bad...

I'm really pleased to see that the government has published a report promoting school lunches over packed lunches – there has been a real improvement in quality over the last ten years – but, as the report says, uptake is not as great as it ought to be, and running an economical service requires the greatest possible numbers.

The evidence is clear – school meals are more nutritious, with benefits to health and ability to learn, as well as behaviour. Where schools have already banned pupils from going off-site at lunchtime this has had significant benefits on all these fronts – as well as reduced reliance on "fast food" which is almost invariably fat-, sugar- and salt-laden. There have also been significant benefits to local communities with reduced litter and less antisocial behaviour.

I'd go even further – free lunches for all. There would be a cost, but the benefits would be well worth it.

But it's a good start, and the report should influence both schools (and academies) and local authorities.