July 2009 Secondary school pupils were more likely to concentrate and be engaged in the classroom after lunch when changes were made to the food and dining room.
The Trust looked at the behaviour of pupils in eleven mixed secondary schools in four Local Authority areas in England in 2008. Changes were made to the food and drink on offer over a 15 week period to make sure they met the food-based standards. Dining room changes were made which aimed to improve the meal experience.
Of the 11 schools in the study, seven schools made changes whilst four did not. Objective observations of pupils’ behaviour were made in the classroom in the hour following lunch. Observations were made before and after the changes were introduced.
Following the changes, pupils in the intervention schools were 18% more likely to be concentrating and engaged compared with pupils in the schools which did not make changes.
The study provides evidence that changes to school food and the dining room have a positive impact on pupils’ behaviour and their ability to learn in the classroom after lunch.
