Jamie's School Dinners

{{Short description|2005 British television series}} {{Multiple issues| {{more citations needed|date=April 2012}} {{Tone|date=April 2010}} {{Too many sections|date=June 2025}} }} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}} {{Use British English|date=February 2014}} {{Infobox television | image = Jamie's School Dinners.jpg | caption = | alt_name = Jamie Oliver's School Lunches | genre = [[Documentary]] | creator = | developer = | writer = | director = Guy Gilbert | creative_director = Jamie Oliver | presenter = [[Jamie Oliver]] | starring = Jamie Oliver | narrator = [[Timothy Spall]] | country = United Kingdom | language = English | num_seasons = | num_episodes = 4 | list_episodes = | executive_producer = | producer = | editor = | location = Jamie's Kitchen | cinematography = | camera = | runtime = 48 minutes | company = [[Fresh One Productions]] | channel = [[Channel 4]] | first_aired = {{start date|2005|2|1|df=y}} | last_aired = {{end date|2005|2|22|df=y}} | related = }}

'''''Jamie's School Dinners''''' is a four-episode [[documentary series]] that was broadcast on [[Channel 4]] in the [[United Kingdom]] from 23 February to 16 March 2005. The series was recorded from Spring to Winter of 2004 and featured British [[celebrity chef]] [[Jamie Oliver]] attempting to improve the quality and [[nutritional value]] of [[School meal|school dinners]] at [[Kidbrooke School]] in the [[Royal Borough of Greenwich]]. Oliver's experience on the series led to a broader [[Civil society campaign|national campaign]] called Feed Me Better, aimed at improving school dinners throughout Britain.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jamie's school dinners for all|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/jamies-school-dinners-for-all-1779635.html|work=The Independent|accessdate=7 April 2012|author=Richard Garner|date=31 August 2009}}</ref>

==Kidbrooke School== At [[Kidbrooke School|Kidbrooke]], Oliver first encountered the school's seemingly fearsome head dinner lady, Nora Sands.<ref name="y746">{{cite book | last=Thirkell | first=Robert | title=CONFLICT - The Insiders' Guide to Storytelling in Factual/Reality TV & Film | publisher=A&C Black | date=2014 | isbn=978-1-4081-4539-5 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vSXLAgAAQBAJ&q=camden%2520%2522dinner%2520ladies%2522&pg=PA44 | access-date=13 November 2025 | pages=44–45}}</ref> Despite frequent clashes over matters ranging from kitchen technique to workload, Sands eventually became Oliver's most ardent supporter throughout the series and the campaign.<ref name="g455">{{cite news| title=Grateful dinner lady hated celebrity chef for starters | work=Irish Independent | date=12 April 2006 | url=https://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/grateful-dinner-lady-hated-celebrity-chef-for-starters/26389379.html | access-date=13 November 2025}}</ref>

Oliver had his work cut out for him: firstly, the daily budget for school dinners was 37 [[pence]] per child. Secondly, the students at the school were so used to eating processed junk food (such as deep-fried meat products and [[french fries|chips]]) that Oliver faced a student rebellion when he banned [[junk food]] from the school. Thirdly, Oliver's unconventional ingredients and meal ideas startled the dinner ladies, increased their workload dramatically, and exceeded the allocated budget.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}

==Boot camp== After a disastrous start at Kidbrooke, with students refusing to eat and dinner ladies threatening to resign due to overwork, Oliver organised a "[[Recruit training|boot camp]]" for dinner ladies in the borough, roping in the catering division of the [[British Army]] to demonstrate how to cook large amounts of food quickly and efficiently.

==County Durham== Statistically, the English county of [[County Durham|Durham]] had the highest rate of health problems among school children in the country. During a visit to a primary school in [[Peterlee]], Oliver realised that part of the challenge in promoting healthier eating habits among children was influenced by the food they were consuming at home. He visited a young boy's family and convinced them to try a healthier home-cooked menu for a week.{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}

==Return to London== Returning to Greenwich, Oliver faced a student [[boycott]] of his new menu. He produced an education kit, and recruited children to work in the kitchen, demonstrating to them exactly what went into [[chicken nuggets]], and teaching them to identify [[vegetables]]. As the campaign gained momentum and garnered increasing public support, Oliver approached civil servants to advocate for increased funding for ingredients and staff wages in school canteens.

==Results of the show and campaign== The [[Government of the United Kingdom|HM Government]], and [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]] promised to take steps to improve school dinners shortly after the programme aired. 271,677 people signed an online petition on the Feed Me Better website, which was delivered to [[10 Downing Street]] on 30 March 2005. Certain junk foods (such as the notorious [[Bernard Matthews Farms|Bernard Matthews]] "Turkey Twizzlers" much derided on the show) were banned from schools by their local borough or county council.<ref name=BBC05>{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/4391695.stm|title=TV chef welcomes £280m meals plan|date=30 March 2005|work=BBC News|access-date=7 April 2012}}</ref> Currently{{when|date=January 2021}} fried foods are only allowed to be served{{where|date=March 2024}} twice a week and soft drinks are no longer available.<ref name=Williams10>{{cite news|title=Jamie Oliver's school dinners shown to have improved academic results|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2010/mar/29/jamie-oliver-school-dinners-meals|work=The Guardian|accessdate=7 April 2012|author=Rachel Williams|date=29 March 2010}}</ref> The [[Department for Education and Skills (United Kingdom)|Department for Education and Skills]] created the [[School Food Trust]], a £60 million initiative to provide support and advice to school administrators to improve the standard of school meals.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

===Results=== In London, meeting first with [[Alan Johnson]], the [[Secretary of State for Education and Skills]], and [[Prime Minister]] [[Tony Blair]], Jamie secures promises of an additional £280m for 3 years, a trust to allow schools without kitchens to build, a pledge to consider a series of training kitchens across the country, and creation of a voluntary code of conduct concerning advertising of junk food to children.<ref name=BBC05/>

==Effect on exam results==

In 2009, a report was released that after the implementation of Jamie's School Dinners program test scores in English and science improved.<ref name="Williams10"/> The report was conducted by the Institute for Social and Economic Research located at [[Essex University]]. It measured the performance of 11-year-old students from Greenwich, south London from 2006-2007, allowing a full year of performance to be measured.<ref name=Williams10/> The results showed the number of students to receive a 4 or a 5 on their science exams increased by 8%, while English scores rose by 6% and maths also showed a slight increase in performance.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jamie Oliver's school dinners improve exam results, report finds|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/4423132/Jamie-Olivers-school-dinners-improve-exam-results-report-finds.html|work=The Telegraph|accessdate=7 April 2012|author=Urmee Khan|date=1 Feb 2009}}</ref>

==Criticism== [[David Laws]] said the government rushed into the legislation too quickly, and would be unable to meet its target requirement of participation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Schoolchildren shun healthy school meals|url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2009/jul/09/failure-school-meals-revolution|work=The Guardian|accessdate=15 February 2017|author=Jessica Shepherd|date=9 July 2009}}</ref>

==See also== * [[Healthy Kids School Canteen Association]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:2005 British television series debuts]] [[Category:2005 British television series endings]] [[Category:2000s British documentary television series]] [[Category:Channel 4 documentary series]] [[Category:English-language British television shows]] [[Category:Food reality television series]] [[Category:Government-provided school meals in the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Obesity in the United Kingdom]]