Healthy school snacks help Oxfordshire pupils arrive ready to learn
Pupils in Oxfordshire are arriving at school better prepared to learn, thanks to a county council funded healthy snacks project that is improving wellbeing, behaviour and attendance.
Funded through the council’s wider cost of living programme, the initiative supported four secondary schools in 2025/26 - The Oxford Academy, North Oxfordshire Academy, Cheney School and Henry Box School - with £25,000 to ensure children from low income households are not going hungry during the school day.
The scheme provides targeted early support for pupils while helping schools identify those arriving without having eaten. This enables sensitive safeguarding conversations and more tailored support for families.
The project forms part of the council’s wider package of support for residents facing ongoing financial pressures, with more than 219,000 interventions delivered across Oxfordshire in 2025/26 to help households with essentials such as food and energy.
Schools are already reporting clear improvements in behaviour and engagement. At Cheney School, Deputy Head Louise Elias said: “Self-referrals to the behaviour team for food related issues at the start of Period 1 have dropped to zero. Students are arriving at their first lessons settled and ready to learn.”
Clare Forder, Deputy Head at The Oxford Academy, added: “The community served by the school really needs support with access to food, particularly fruit and vegetables, as there is such a strong correlation between deprivation and poor school outcomes.”
Feedback from pupils at Henry Box School has shown the scheme is helping young people feel safe and supported, while North Oxfordshire Academy has reported a “transformative impact” on student wellbeing, safeguarding, attendance and engagement.
Cllr Kate Gregory, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities, said: “During uncertain times and amid continuing cost of living crisis, too many families are facing impossible choices. In Oxfordshire, around 10 per cent of children are living in poverty, and we know that hunger can have a real impact on a child’s experience at school.
“This project shows that something as simple as a healthy snack during the school day can make a meaningful difference. While it is concerning that something so small can have such a profound effect on a child’s education and wellbeing, it also underlines why practical, compassionate support like this matters so much for children and families across our communities.”
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