Dame Emma Thompson and youth activists launch Campaign for School Food Reform

A powerful new animated film narrated by Dame Emma Thompson and four young campaigners is calling for a radical overhaul of school food standards across the UK. Titled ‘The Lunch They Deserve’, the campaign focuses on the 4.5 million children currently living in poverty, for whom a school lunch is often the only hot, nutritious meal of the day.



A Critical Turning Point for 2026

The launch comes as the UK prepares for a significant shift in school food provision. From September 2026, Free School Meals will be extended to all households receiving Universal Credit. While campaigners, including Thompson and Jamie Oliver, have celebrated this expansion, they warn that access alone is not enough.

"School lunchtime is the golden opportunity for society to step up," said Dame Emma Thompson. "Every child has the right to healthy food. Let’s give all our kids the lunch they deserve so they can thrive."

Outdated Standards and Rising Health Risks

The Food Foundation highlights that current mandatory standards are over 20 years old and fail to reflect modern nutritional needs. More critically, there is currently no formal monitoring system to ensure schools comply with these rules.

The consequences of poor nutrition are stark:

Less than 10% of teenagers eat enough fruit and vegetables.

One-third of children are living with overweight or obesity by age 11.

Type 2 diabetes risks in young people have surged by 22% in five years.

Voices of Experience

The film, animated by the BAFTA-winning Tin Bear Project, features the voices of Young Food Ambassadors with lived experience of food insecurity. Emmanuela, 17, from London, noted: "Low-quality meals hit disadvantaged students hardest. If we’re serious about equity in education, improving school food is foundational."

The Food Foundation is calling on the government to pair the 2026 expansion with updated, strictly enforced standards to end the "postcode lottery" of school food quality and protect the long-term health of the nation’s children.