Financial and Resource Assistance for Families

How were the 5 pilot schools selected?

Schools were selected based on a range of factors including student population, location and educational setting to capture a broad representation of ACT public schools.

Which students will have access to the program?

This is a universal offering to all students at the participating schools.

What do you expect to see from the pilot?

We are expecting to see improved student wellbeing and learning outcomes through the equity of access to nutritious food. Within Australia, similar initiatives have been trialled in Tasmania and Victoria with positive results. In Finland, the United Kingdom and the United States of Australia research has been completed on the impact of access to nutritious food in schools and students’ engagement in learning.

What are other schools who are not taking part in the pilot doing to meet the needs of students? What happens at the end of the pilot? How will families be supported to transition?

Many ACT public schools access funding to implement their own school-based programs such as breakfast clubs, open pantries, etc. Many schools also have existing partnerships which community organisations who provide meals and food boxes to families in need.

What might students learn from this?

Students will have many opportunities to learn about healthy eating and the connections between food, wellbeing, and learning.

Do you factor in dietary requirements of students?

Yes, all student’s dietary requirements will be factored in and accommodated for. Schools have gathered this information from families in their communities to ensure all requirements are identified and met before the pilot commences. These meals will be clearly labelled by the food provider to ensure that these meals are easily identified.

How will you manage quantities to avoid food waste?

The food service provider and schools will implement strategies to reduce food waste throughout the supply chain. This is achieved through exploring options for composting organic waste and recycling packaging materials to minimise the environmental impact. The food service provider will adjust portion sizes and menu offerings based on feedback and will also monitor waste generation levels to identify areas for improvement.

Will students opt in for the service?

The Meals in Schools program will provide meals for all students in the participating schools. Families may choose to opt out of the service for their child/ren. Schools will be supported to help guide families through this process if this occurs.

What is a sample breakfast and lunch meal?

Seasonal menus will be developed each term in consultation with each pilot school and an independent nutrition support service. Some schools currently have breakfast programs in place. The Meals in Schools pilot will not replace these programs – the menu will vary from each school to factor this in.

Meals will include tasty grab and go meals such as yoghurt, fruit and vegetables, frittata, wraps and sandwiches etc. Participating schools will provide their term menu to families.

More than 80% of the menu items are categorised as green against the National Healthy School Canteen Guidelines. These foods provide essential nutrients for students to learn and engage at school.

What happens to the leftovers?

In the instance of leftovers, the school can distribute this to students seeking further food or for families with an identified need. This will be dependent on the shelf life identified by the food service provider and the school’s ability to appropriately store the food until it can be distributed.

Will this pilot run into the 2025 school year?

The Meals in Schools Pilot will run from term 3, 2024 until the end of term 2, 2025.

Are canteens at the pilot schools likely to be impacted?

For those schools that have canteens, they will continue to operate as normal. On the 3 days that the Meals in Schools program will run, it will run alongside any school canteen or breakfast programs already available at the school.

How often will you be assessing the program?

The evaluation of the program will commence in term 3, 2024 and will continue for the duration of the pilot. An evaluation of the wellbeing and learning outcomes will form the basis of whether this program can be enhanced and expanded to a broader number of schools.