Food in Schools project surveys underway - Help Stop Waste and reduce costs

3rd June 2025

The Highland Council's ‘Food in Schools' project is a key component of the Council’s Delivery Plan and the Redesign Board Chaired by the Convener of the Council - Councillor Bill Lobban has launched a range of surveys to better understand the various components of food provision in school settings.

The surveys will be issued by Head Teachers, on behalf of the Food in Schools project team, to current pupils (P1-S6), parents and carers, teachers and non-teaching staff (e.g. Pupil Support Assistants).

The Council’s school catering staff and Councillors are also being invited to complete surveys to enable the project team to gather feedback and data for review by the Redesign Board.

Convener of the Council and Chair of Redesign Board, Cllr Bill Lobban said: "Food in Schools is a wide ranging project that cuts across several Council policy areas and services such as waste and recycling as well as school catering.

The Redesign Board is fully supportive of the Food in Schools project which is a key part of the Council’s Delivery Plan, and we look forward to reviewing the findings and data from the surveys."

The Council currently serves 18,000 lunches per day in 173 primary schools and 29 secondary schools and is moving gradually to an annual menu. From 2026 we will update our menus every 12 months after the Easter Break.

Education Committee Chair, Cllr John Finlayson added: "The Council is striving towards improving Food in Schools to help support pupils’ health and wellbeing but to also improve the take up of the food offering provided in schools and to reduce food waste. We continue to consult with pupils and staff to improve the food choices and recipes available.

“Food waste in our schools is a key area where we could see greater efficiencies as well as environmental benefits. I encourage our young people and families to support the ‘Food in Schools’ project by completing the surveys that will help shape positive changes."

Stakeholders will be invited to take part in tailored surveys over the next two weeks, the results of which will be reported to a future meeting of the Redesign Board.

Following an initial workshop with the Redesign Board, the focus of these surveys is take-up of school meals, including free school meals, our current operating model and learning from leading practice, and reducing the cost of food by reducing the amount of food waste.

After the survey results have been analysed, further work will be undertaken to review the scope of the project and the range of inter-connected policy areas which support this important service for our young people.