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The Adapt-Ed study, led by researchers at the University of Hertfordshire in partnership with University of Essex and the charity School Food Matters, has been looking at ways to improve school food for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 

The researchers found that children attending special schools, who are already more likely than their peers to grow up in poverty and qualify for free school meals, are far less likely to access school food due to ‘unmet dietary and eating needs’.

Some children may go the entire school day without eating properly as a result, the researchers warned - leading to difficulty concentrating in class, increased anxiety and dysregulation as well as physical health problems.

According to the researchers children with SEND, especially those with restrictive diets, often rely on access to familiar or ‘safe’ foods - but those preferred options are not always available in special schools. The way food is presented and how new foods are introduced are also very important and can make a big difference. 

Rebecca O’Connell, professor of food, families and society at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “Better school meal uptake can improve children’s nutrition, mental health, learning, and support family finances, as well as provide benefits for the school, such as improved attendance and behaviour. However, not only do schools face many challenges in providing nutritious, inclusive meals, it is not straightforward to agree on what good food looks like or how to deliver it in special schools. 

“We know that too many children with SEND are missing out on nutritious school food, but there is a lack of systematic data and policy attention to ensure inclusive provision. This has to change. We urgently want to see evidence-based school food provision that works for all children.” 

The report also found that changes to the food environment to accommodate sensory needs could improve children’s mood, behaviour and ability to eat and enjoy food. The Adapt-Ed policy brief urges the Government to develop evidence-based approaches on how schools can best meet the food needs of children with SEND. 

It also asks the Government to investigate low free school meal uptake in special schools, and to begin publishing data on how many children with SEND in mainstream schools are accessing their entitlement - where rates may be even lower. 

Sharon Hodgson, MP and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on School Food, added: “It is shocking that a quarter of children who are eligible for free school meals in special schools aren't taking up their entitlement.

“We need to make nutritious food accessible to all children, especially those with special needs and disabilities. This Government is going further and faster with universal primary breakfast clubs and an unprecedented expansion to free school meals, which will support 500,000 more children, but these measures must benefit all.”