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Totteridge Academy on Good Morning Britain
Totteridge Academy in North London was featured on Good Morning Britain as part of a major national campaign calling for improved school food standards across the UK.
The segment saw the ITV breakfast show visit the school to speak with students about school food as part of the launch of ‘The Lunch They Deserve’, a powerful new campaign film narrated by Dame Emma Thompson and young food ambassadors from across the country.
Totteridge Academy, where Chefs in Schools Head Chef James Fox leads the kitchen team, was chosen to demonstrate the impact that high-quality school food can have on children and young people – a mission at the heart of our work.
The school’s approach is exemplary: much of the produce used in meals comes from their on-site GROW farm, where students are involved in growing, harvesting and delivering fresh herbs, fruit and vegetables. Students even use trundle wheels to measure food mileage and calculate the carbon footprint – which is remarkably low. This partnership has been so successful that the school was shortlisted for the World’s Best School Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives.
The Future Of School Food Campaign
The campaign, led by The Food Foundation, comes at a critical moment. With the government set to extend Free School Meals to all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit from September 2026, campaigners are calling for updated food standards and proper monitoring to ensure every child receives nutritious meals.
“The Prime Minister’s recent commitment to ensuring children are not just fed in school, but fed well, matters. At Chefs in Schools, we see daily the impact that high-quality school food has on children and young people. As the scale of food-related ill health becomes clearer, ambition must be matched by action. Schools are a critical intervention point, but only if high standards for chefs and caterers are applied consistently and enforced properly.”
– Naomi Duncan, Chief Executive, Chefs in Schools
A Model for Change:
Totteridge Academy’s feature on Good Morning Britain demonstrates what’s possible when schools are properly supported to deliver excellent food. The school’s partnership with Chefs in Schools has helped establish the kind of standards and practices that the campaign is calling for nationwide.
The campaign film, created by multi-BAFTA winning animators The Tin Bear Project, features voices of young people with lived experience of food insecurity alongside Dame Emma Thompson, highlighting that school meals are often the only reliable nutritious meal some children receive.
Looking Ahead:
September 2026 represents a huge opportunity to mark a step change in both access to free school meals and the quality of meals served. As the Food Foundation’s Anna Taylor noted, monitoring must go hand in hand with new standards so that schools which aren’t meeting standards can be given adequate support to improve.
At Chefs in Schools, we’re proud that schools like Totteridge Academy are leading the way – and we’re committed to ensuring that every child can enjoy the lunch they deserve.
Watch the campaign film below and For more information about how Chefs in Schools can support your school, visit https://chefsinschools.org.uk/support/