Written questions by Chowns.

What steps she is taking to (a) monitor and (b) manage the standard of food provided by schools.

It is important that children eat nutritious food at school and the department encourages schools to have a whole school approach to healthy eating. The School Food Standards regulate the food and drink provided at lunchtime and at other times of the school day. Compliance with the School Food Standards is mandatory for all maintained schools, academies and free schools. School Governors have a responsibility to ensure compliance and should appropriately challenge the headteacher and the senior leadership team to ensure the school is meeting its obligations.The government’s ambition is to source half of all food served in public sector settings from local producers or from growers certified to meet higher environmental standards, where possible. The government wants to use the purchasing power of the public sector food supply chain to lead the way and to set best practice in delivering our wider ambitions on sustainability, animal welfare, economic growth, nutrition and health. The government has also committed to supporting schools to improve the sustainability of school food. Schools can voluntarily follow the government buying standards, which include advice around sustainable sourcing.Ministerial teams are working with department officials on plans to deliver the government’s manifesto commitments, including making quick progress to deliver breakfast clubs in every primary school. Our aim is to deliver better life chances for all, through a system which works for all. As part of this, as with all government programmes, we will keep our approach to school food under continued review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will make it her policy to restore school funding in real terms to the level provided in May 2010.

This government is increasing overall core revenue funding for schools to almost £61.8 billion this financial year (2024/25). In July, the department announced that it is providing schools with almost £1.1 billion of additional funding in the 2024/25 financial year through the new core schools budget grant (CSBG), to support them with overall costs. This matches what the department has calculated is needed to fully fund, at a national level, the teacher pay award and the support staff pay offer in the 2024/25 financial year, after accounting for the available headroom in schools’ existing budgets. This increase in funding shows the government’s commitment to supporting schools as a part of the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Departmental expenditure limits for the 2025/26 financial year are yet to be agreed across government and will be set alongside the Budget on 30 October. This will include schools’ funding in the 2025/26 financial year.