The consumer organisation Which? has reported that there is no control over the food served by the growing number of academies and free schools.
Strict nutritional standards in place for state primary and secondary schools for the past five years have seen the uptake of school meals rise to 46 per cent and 40 per cent respectively. But academies and free schools can install vending machines if they wish and sell whatever food they want in their canteens. And in schools built under the Private Finance Initiative, the “owner” of the school buildings can install whatever junk food machines they want, regardless of the wishes of the school management. ■