Join Bite Back in Schools
Apply now for our student-led canteen transformation programme.
What’s your school food like? Is it bland and beige? Are students waiting for ages before getting to unappealing options?
If the answer’s yes, we have an opportunity for your school!
Every single child deserves access to healthy, nutritious food at school – but we all know that’s not the case. Yet.
The fully funded Bite Back in Schools Programme empowers students to transform their school food and dining experience, creating a healthier, more inclusive canteen culture.
Whether it's long queues and beige food or expensive fruit and nowhere to sit, our programme provides the structure and support for your students to identify the real challenges and solutions to your school food environment.
What is Bite Back in Schools?
- For Years 7, 8, 9 or 10 (S1-S4 Scotland) — Students explore the food environment in their school and community.
- Skill-Building for your students — Research, communication, advocacy, and teamwork.
- Real Impact — Student-driven social action to improve their canteen food and space.
- Flexible — Deliver 15 hours of content across the school terms in a way that works for your school, use the timeline below to map out your sessions for the entire year.
- Tried and tested — Already been delivered in 200 secondary schools in England.
Want to delve into the details? Click here to view our full Information Pack.
What you get
- Kick-off assembly delivered by an inspiring Bite Back ambassador.
- Ready-to-go high-quality resources and session plans.
- £500 grant to help you run the programme.
- Start-to-end support from the Bite Back team.
- Engaging physical resources for students, including workbooks and badges.
Your Commitment
- Time in the school day for a year group assembly delivered by Bite Back.
- Time in the school day (usually tutor time, PSHE or a drop-down 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 students (School Food Champions).
- Willingness to listen to your students' ideas and make changes that put young people's health first.
How do we select schools?
We have a limited number of funded places for 2025/26, and can only offer the Bite Back in Schools Programme to 100 schools. 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.
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 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 tutor time, others deliver them in PSHE or on a drop-down day/collapsed timetable day.
For example, in early October, all of Year 8 have an assembly in the main hall and then over the next 5 weeks, form teachers in classrooms deliver the 5 sessions.
The remaining 15 hours of content is delivered to a small group of students (School Food Champions) usually in an after-school club. This requires one teacher.
Total time during school day: 4 hours
Total time delivered after school: approximately 10 hours
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 are a school in Scotland, can I apply?
Yes! This programme is available for schools in Scotland and England.
Is this programme for secondary schools only?
Yes, we are developing a primary offer, so stay tuned.
Can the programme be delivered in a range of contexts e.g. Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools or alternative provisions?
Yes! We have delivered this programme successfully in a range of contexts, including Special Educational Needs (SEN) Schools and alternative provisions.
We welcome applications from schools outside the mainstream context and will work with schools to adapt the programme as needed so that their students can thrive on Bite Back in Schools.
Do you have an information pack?
Yes! Click here to find our Bite Back in Schools Information Pack.
For more questions about the Bite Back in Schools Programme, check out our info pack or contact our friendly team at schoolfoodchampions@biteback2030.com.