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The 2025 School Meals Report, which is based on feedback from over 236,000 parents across the UK, warns that this lack of information may be impacting meal uptake and fuelling wider health concerns including childhood obesity.

New analysis from the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) suggests that in nine areas of England most children will be overweight or obese by 2035 unless action is taken. The School Meals Report suggests one way of solving this problem is better communication between schools, caterers and families.

Phil Roberts, group chief growth officer at ParentPay Group, said: “School meals play a vital role in a child’s development, yet nearly half of parents feel left in the dark. That’s why we are focusing on helping schools communicate this key information to parents.

“From in-app updates to feedback tools, there are simple, scalable ways that we can work with schools and their catering partners to help give parents the transparency and confidence they’re asking for. This is an example of where we are listening to what’s happening and working out how we can best partner with schools to support them.

“With rising costs, growing demand and tighter margins, we can help schools and caterers streamline and be more effective and inclusive in operations. We are supporting with digital-first solutions that can help tackle these challenges to increase meal uptake, improve service quality and ensure no child misses out.”

The report also found a strong parental appetite for food education in schools. Almost four in five parents (79%) support the introduction of lessons about food, nutrition and origins, either as part of the national curriculum or as an optional series. ParentPay Group says this highlights a growing public demand for schools to actively support healthy eating habits from a young age.

The lack of communication also appears to be affecting breakfast club participation. While 55% of UK schools offer breakfast provision, a third (33%) of parents said their child doesn’t attend, even when the service is available. One in four (24%) parents didn’t even know if their child’s school provided breakfast options – a gap that schools and caterers must close together.

Judith Gregory, chair of LACA, added: “The research shows a clear disconnect between what’s on offer and what parents know. Improved communication isn’t just about engagement, it’s about ensuring more children benefit from nutritious meals that support their wellbeing and academic success."

The report makes a series of recommendations, including greater use of digital tools for communicating menus and feedback, enhanced allergy and dietary information sharing as well as the adoption of pre-booking platforms to help reduce food waste and ensure pupils get meals they actually want.

There’s also a call to embed meal review features and more visible feedback loops to give parents and children a greater sense of control. These features were backed by 72% of parents surveyed.

For more information, download the full 2025 National School Meals Report from ParentPay Group.