Apply England
Bite Back in Schools provides everything your students need to investigate challenges, design solutions, and make a real difference in your school.
Students don’t just talk about taking action. They lead it.
It's a win-win!
Students develop essential skills for life and work, from leadership to public speaking, while your school benefits from a stronger student voice and meaningful improvements that make the dining hall fairer, healthier, and inclusive for everyone.
Students have successfully:
- Influenced menu changes and increased healthier options
- Improved canteen layout and reduced queues
- Engaged catering teams and decision-makers in meaningful dialogue
- Run student-led campaigns with measurable impact
If you're a school in England, apply now to begin your Bite Back in Schools journey in Autumn 2026.
What is Bite Back in Schools?
- For Years 7–10 - Students explore their school food environment, identify areas for improvement, and campaign for practical, student-led solutions.
- Skill-building for your students - Research, communication, advocacy, teamwork, leadership, and project management
- Real impact - Youth-led social action that delivers tangible improvements to dining hall food, culture, and space
- Flexible delivery - 15 hours across the school year, structured to fit your timetable
- Tried and tested - Delivered in over 200 secondary schools across the UK
Want to find out more? Click here to view our full Information Pack.
What you get
- £500 grant to support student-led improvements, campaign materials, or dining space enhancements
- Kick-off assembly delivered by an inspiring Bite Back Ambassador
- Ready-to-use, high-quality session plans and resources
- Full start-to-finish support from the Bite Back team
- Engaging physical resources for students, including workbooks and badges
- Fully flexible and fully resourced — everything is provided
Applications for our 26/27 programme close July 24th 2026 — places are limited
FAQs
Is there a cost to the programme?
No, we are pleased to be able to offer Bite Back in Schools Programme fully-funded, thanks to support from the National Lottery.
Your school will also receive a £500.00 grant to help you run the programme.
Is this programme delivered during the school day?
The first half of this programme is delivered during the school day, the second half is usually delivered in an after-school club.
The kick-off assembly (20 mins) and the 5 whole year group sessions (45 mins each) are delivered during the school day in whatever way suits your school. Some schools split these across registration/tutor time, others deliver them as part of Health and Wellbeing curricular areas (e.g. during PSE or PE) or on an off-timetable day.
For example, in early October, all have an assembly in the main hall and then over the next 5 weeks, registration teachers in classrooms deliver the 5 sessions.
The remaining 15 hours of content is delivered to a small group of learners (School Food Champions) usually in an after-school or lunchtime club. This requires one teacher.
Total time during school day: 4 hours
Total time delivered after school: approximately 10 hours
What commitment to you need from schools?
- Time in the school day for a year group assembly delivered by Bite Back.
- Time in the school day (usually registration/tutor time, Health and Wellbeing or an off-timetable day) for 5 whole year group sessions delivered in classrooms by teachers.
- One teacher to run a lunchtime or after-school club for a smaller group of learners (School Food Champions).
- Willingness to listen to your pupils' ideas and make changes that put young people's health first.
How do you select schools?
We have a limited number of funded places for 2026/27, and can only offer the Bite Back in Schools Programme to 5 Scottish schools this year. To ensure we’re providing opportunities for change in the communities most impacted by health inequalities, we will prioritise applications from schools which meet the following demographic criteria:
- Above national average % of pupils receiving free school meals.
- Areas with high obesity rates.
- Local Authorities with the highest proportion of neighbourhoods in the most deprived 10% of neighbourhoods on the IMD 2019.
We use an external catering company, is that ok?
Yes, we have delivered this programme in over 200 schools with a range of catering set-ups, including in-house, trust-wide, LA catering and more.
We're a school in Scotland, can I apply?
Yes! This programme is available for schools in Scotland and we're taking applications now.
Is this programme for secondary schools only?
Yes, this programme is only for secondary schools.
We are developing a primary offer, so stay tuned.
Do you have an information pack?
Can the programme be delivered in a range of contexts e.g. special schools or units for children with additional support needs (ASN)?
Yes! We have delivered this programme successfully in a range of contexts, including special schools and alternative provisions.
We welcome applications from schools who support a wide variety of learners and will work with schools to adapt the programme as needed so that their pupils can thrive on Bite Back in Schools.
Do you offer free resources?
Yes! As part of the programme, we will send you high-quality, engaging resources such as workbooks, stickers and badges. All are free of charge.
For more questions about the Bite Back in Schools Programme contact our friendly team at schoolfoodchampions@biteback2030.com.
Thanks to National Lottery players, Bite Back has received £3.5 million from The National Lottery Community Fund, to empower young people to improve their school food environment.