This week I report on revised school food standards which, subject to Parliamentary Approval, will come into force from September 2027; confirmation of a £5million investment in secondary schools to purchase books and reading materials and a call for evidence for a KS3 curriculum review.

Revised school food standards (anticipated September 2027 rollout)
The DfE has finalised updated school food standards guidance which, subject to Parliamentary approval, will take effect in schools from September 2027, with secondary schools granted additional flexibility on select items. The standards are intended to improve the nutritional quality of food served in schools and support efforts to tackle childhood obesity and tooth decay.

Schools must appoint a lead governor for school food and publish menus and food policies online. Compliance data will be collected via the Food Standards Agency and shared with Ofsted to inform leadership evaluations.

Secondary school reading materials grant (£5m investment)
To coincide with the National Year of Reading 2026, the DfE has announced that it is distributing £5 million to secondary schools in England to purchase books and reading materials. The funding covers all secondary schools with KS3 and KS4 pupils, including academies, free schools, maintained schools, special schools, and alternative provision settings.

Schools will receive allocations ranging from £450 to £1,400 based on pupil numbers and disadvantage weighting, without needing to submit an application. Accounts on the supplier platform, Browns Books, will be generated automatically, with login details sent out from earlier this week. All allocated funds must be spent and orders placed by 31 March 2027.

KS3 national call for evidence
The DfE-supported KS3 Alliance has launched a national call for evidence to re-evaluate Y7-9, addressing concerns that the early secondary years have become a “seriously overlooked” phase focused narrowly on GCSE preparation.

Evidence is requested across four focus areas: student engagement and belonging, literacy and numeracy, assessment and data usage, and skills and educational pathways.

The alliance is conducting regional events in Cambridge, Doncaster, Exeter, Leicester, Manchester, and Newcastle to gather local insights. Schools, academy trusts, researchers, and young people are invited to submit evidence until the deadline at 5pm on Monday 9 November.