Angus Holford

Background: The current means-tested Free School Meals (FSM) policy aims to provide nutritious meals to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the UK secondary school FSM policy on fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, diet quality, nutrient intake, and food insecurity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 34 UK secondary schools, (England (n=17), Northern Ireland (NI) (n=17)), with varying FSM uptake in those eligible and registered. Dietary intake was assessed using Intake24 dietary recalls; diet quality (Diet Quality Index for Adolescents (DQI-A)) and food security (Child Food Security Survey Module). Multilevel linear regression examined associations between school-level FSM uptake and the primary outcome, FV intake. Secondary outcomes included diet quality, school FV intake, meeting ‘5-a-day’ FV recommendations, energy and nutrient intakes, and food security. Model covariates included school-level (rurality, gender mix, location) and individual-level factors (gender, relative age, deprivation, ethnicity, English as an Additional Language, Special Educational Needs, FSM status). Findings: A total of 1,678 students aged 11-12 and 14-15 years (NI n=823; England n=855) participated. Mean FSM registration and uptake were 39% and 73% respectively. After adjustment for covariates, a 10% increase in FSM uptake was associated with a 0.11 portion/d mean increase in FV intake (95% CI 0.01, 0.20; p=0.02); a 22% increased odds of meeting FV recommendations (OR=1.22 95% CI 1.05, 1.42) and a 0.8 unit mean increase in DQI-A score (95% CI 0.13, 1.47). FSM uptake was not significantly associated with food security .Interpretation: Increased school-level FSM uptake was associated with marginal improvements in FV intake and diet quality, but not food security in UK secondary school students. Strengthening FSM participation and the nutritional quality and attractiveness of school food could enhance uptake, broaden access to healthier options, and support better diet quality among secondary school students.

Background Children and young people (CYP) with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) are more likely to grow up in poverty and be entitled to free school meals than other children. However, they might not eat well at school because their needs aren’t always accommodated. There is a need to understand school food provision for children with SEND and how the whole school food environment (WSFE) can be improved to address health inequalities. Methods We conducted scoping research and involved public and professional stakeholders in co-producing adaptations to a whole school food approach called Healthy Zones (HZ). The aim was to inform a future proposal to implement and evaluate the Adapt-ed HZ intervention in special schools. The four work packages (WP) (June to November 2024) were: WP1: establish stakeholder groups to co-produce a logic model and HZ adaptations; WP2: scoping reviews of food interventions for CYP with SEND; WP3: analysis of publicly available administrative data and online survey; WP4: ethnographic case studies of three special schools. Results Working with CYP with SEND, parents, carers and professionals in schools and policy roles, Adapt-Ed has provided a wealth of information to tailor and refine the HZ approach for special schools. It has included extensive public involvement and scoping research to inform future research. The work has led to a draft logic model and outline research plan which have been co-produced with public and professional stakeholders throughout. Conclusion Through this project we have co-produced HZ adaptations and a draft logic model and learned there is a need and demand for Adapt-Ed HZ to enhance WSFEs in special schools and promote children’s health and wellbeing. Subject to a feasibility study to refine the research protocol and test data collection methods, a trial is recommended to implement and evaluate the effect of Adapt-Ed HZ on the health and wellbeing of children with SEND.

We study the effects of academic rank using data on the entire population of children enrolled in primary schools in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1962. Exploiting quasi-random variation in peer group composition, we estimate the causal impact of rank on academic performance, noncognitive development, parental investment, and long-term outcomes. Higher rank improves achievement on the high-stakes eleven-plus examination and strengthens internalizing skills (traits related to self-concept and confidence), suggesting that rank effects operate primarily through students' self-perception. Using a follow-up survey conducted forty years later, we find that rank raises educational attainment, particularly for girls, while long-term income gains emerge only among boys. The gender gap in long-run effects likely reflects historical barriers to women's access to higher education and skilled employment during this period.

Background Children and young people (CYP) with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) are more likely to grow up in poverty and be entitled to free school meals than other children. However, they might not eat well at school because their needs aren’t always accommodated. There is a need to understand school food provision for children with SEND and how the whole school food environment (WSFE) can be improved to address health inequalities. Methods We conducted scoping research and involved public and professional stakeholders in co-producing adaptations to a whole school food approach called Healthy Zones (HZ). The aim was to inform a future proposal to implement and evaluate the Adapt-ed HZ intervention in special schools. The four work packages (WP) (June to November 2024) were: WP1: establish stakeholder groups to co-produce a logic model and HZ adaptations; WP2: scoping reviews of food interventions for CYP with SEND; WP3: analysis of publicly available administrative data and online survey; WP4: ethnographic case studies of three special schools. Results Working with CYP with SEND, parents, carers and professionals in schools and policy roles, Adapt-Ed has provided a wealth of information to tailor and refine the HZ approach for special schools. It has included extensive public involvement and scoping research to inform future research. The work has led to a draft logic model and outline research plan which have been co-produced with public and professional stakeholders throughout. Conclusion Through this project we have co-produced HZ adaptations and a draft logic model and learned there is a need and demand for Adapt-Ed HZ to enhance WSFEs in special schools and promote children’s health and wellbeing. Subject to a feasibility study to refine the research protocol and test data collection methods, a trial is recommended to implement and evaluate the effect of Adapt-Ed HZ on the health and wellbeing of children with SEND.

We identify the impacts of a student's timetable on their attendance, study time and academic achievement using administrative and survey data from a public UK university across a broad range of degree programmes using quasi-random assignment of students to their timetables. Timetable measures include back-to-back classes, single-class days, time-of-day, day-of-instruction and long hours. We observe hourly attendance decisions. Findings indicate that student attendance at the event level is highly dependent on the timetable structure. Single-class days reduce attendance and back-to-back classes raise it. We are able to show that students compensate for marginal non-attendance at some events with increased attendance at other events on the same module, or among more conscientious students, with increased study time. Net of all behavioural responses to the timetable, these features have little impact on academic attainment.

We use longitudinal data on graduates from UK universities to evaluate whether unpaid work experience is a stepping stone into paid or stable employment. We document the characteristics and occupations of recent graduates taking unpaid work experience and then use propensity score matching to estimate the treatment effect of unpaid work experience on outcomes 3.5 years after graduation. We find negative treatment effects compared with initially being in paid work, on annual salary (£2900), job security and attainment of a professional occupation (both 9% pts). We find no evidence of a benefit to salary or job attributes compared with initially being out of the labour force.