FixOurFood in Schools is a key sub-system of the wider UKRI-funded ‘FixOurFood research programme’, which aims to transform the Yorkshire food system to deliver healthy, sustainable, and tasty food for children—while reducing environmental harm. Working in partnership with school staff, children, caterers, universities, local authorities and policymakers, FixOurFood is building an evidence base on school food systems, within and outside of Yorkshire. As part of this effort, the team has  gained a comprehensive picture of school food, from the menu offer, through to the food offer, food choice, consumption and waste.  These data are collected as part of a suite of measures to characterise schools and consider whole-school approaches to food, which will inform policy advocacy and system-wide improvement. FixOurFood has also worked closely with local authorities to support and evaluate the implementation of free school meal auto-enrolment processes, ensuring that children entitled to receive free school meals do not miss out.

This seminar will offer an overview of the work carried out by the FixOurFood in Schools team since 2020, followed by a bite size presentations of recently completed projects focusing on school food quality, lunch consumption data, primary school food-focused observation days, school menu adaptation for population and planetary health, Free School Meal auto-enrolment and school food procurement

Maria Bryant is Professor of Public Health Nutrition at the University of York with over 20 years’ experience in trials and applied research on food, diet, and obesity. Her work focuses on public health interventions, food systems, food insecurity, and school and early years nutrition. She holds multiple leadership roles, including Director of Diet, Nutrition and Obesity Research for Born in Bradford and Academic Director of the Born and Bred in Network.

Dr Sundus Mahdi is a Research Associate in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York, working on the school food workstream of FixOurFood. Her research focuses on food policies that improve children’s diets and reduce health inequalities, with interests in whole systems approaches, school food settings, public health interventions, and behavioural and economic aspects of dietary change.

Nicola Nixon is a Research Associate and PhD student in the Department of Health Sciences, University of York. Her research focuses on how school food procurement can impact health and wellbeing outcomes for all children, working towards a more equal, healthier nation in conjunction with regenerating our natural environment.

Rob Oxley is a Research Trainee in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York. Rob has a strong interest in reducing health inequalities and improving health outcomes, and is currently working on the auto-enrolment of free school meals work stream of FixOurFood. Rob has previously worked for Northumbria and Teesside University on various public health research projects, including Bring it on Brum! A Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme aiming to support children throughout holiday periods.