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King's College London College Archives

King's College London Secondary School Meals Research


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0100 KCLCA SEC

Held at: King's College London College Archives

Title: King's College London Secondary School Meals Research

Date(s): 2003-2004

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: 7 boxes, 0.7 cubic metres

Name of creator(s): King's College London | Department of Nutrition and Dietetics

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

The Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at King's College London developed the Secondary School Meals Research Project, 2003-2004. It was funded by the Department for Education and Skills and the Food Standards Agency, as a result of growing concern about childrens' diets and the quality of school meals.

In 1941 the first nutritional standards for school meals were established and later updated several times, for the last time in 1975. However, in 1980 the Education Act removed such nutritional standards and obligations from Local Education Authorities. In 2001 statutory National Nutritional Standards for school lunches were re-introduced. In order to understand the potential changes in the contribution of school lunches to daily intake and following the re-introduction of these standards, a survey of school meals, in a representative sample of English secondary schools, was commissioned.

The study had three main aims; to assess whether the food provided by the school caterer met the statutory 2001 National Nutritional Standards; to assess whether the food provided met the Caroline Walker Trust Experts Working Group's National Guidelines for School Meals; to identify the consumption and nutrient intakes of school children from school meals, then to compare these intakes to the guidelines set out in the Expert Working Group's Report. Food choices of 5,695 pupils from 79 English secondary schools were recorded.

Researchers were based at King's College London and the project was directed by Dr Michael Nelson of King's. This project's findings were reported in School Meals in Secondary Schools in England, 2004.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

King's College London Secondary School Meals Research Project, 2003-2004, comprises original research data used within the School Meals in Secondary Schools in England report, 2004. The collection contains data entry forms used to collate research gathered in a sample of secondary schools in England.

The collection is divided into three sections, tray checks, 2003-2004; specifications, inventories and portion booklets, 2003-2004 and consent forms, recipes, pilot inventories and tray checks, 2003-2004.

The first section, tray check forms (3 boxes), is arranged in files by ID numbers assigned to participating schools, each pupil has an ID number and each form is labelled by this number; these forms list options of possible foods with the chosen option selected, indicating the diet of the child.

The second section contains research data for each school (3 boxes), including school meals portion weights and visibility booklets, 2003-2004; food inventory booklets, 2003-2004; semi-structured telephone interviews with bursar/head/LEA forms, 2003-2004; specification analysis tools, 2003-2004 and catering nutrition and healthy eating policies, 2003-2004.

The third section (1 box), contains consent forms, 2003-2004; recipes listing ingredients and methodology, 2003-2004; pilot inventories, 2003-2004 and tray checks, all arranged by individual school, 2003-2004.

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: English

System of arrangement:

The collection is currently arranged in its original order as above.

Conditions governing access:

Administrative records are generally closed for 30 years except for published material.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied for research use only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Director of Archive Services.

Physical characteristics:

Finding aids:

No additional finding aids exist.

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Transferred to King's College London College Archives by the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2007.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

Publication note:

Nelson M, Bradbury J, Poulter J, McGee A, Msebele S, Jarvis L, School Meals in Secondary Schools in England Research Report 577 (London: Department for Education and Skills, 2004).

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Accession number C048.

Archivist's note: Compiled by Samantha Velumyl.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal Place and Corporate Names 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: January 2008


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Dietary surveys | Diet | Dietetics | Systems of medicine
Food intake | Dietetics | Systems of medicine
Research projects | Research programmes | Organization of research
Secondary schools | Schools | Educational institutions
Social surveys | Social research

Personal names
Nelson | Michael | fl 2003 | Lecturer

Corporate names
DfES | Department for Education and Skills x Department for Education and Skills
Food Standards Agency
King's College London | Department of Nutrition and Dietetics

Places