The Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has accused the Government of “damaging children’s health” by allowing academies and free schools to opt out of nutritional standards for pupils’ lunches. Professor Terence Stephenson said the “irresponsible” exemption was undermining the drive to tackle childhood obesity, insisting: “If it’s the right policy for children in maintained schools, it’s the right policy for all children”. But the Department for Education dismissed Professor Stephenson’s claims as “utterly disingenuous and untrue”, adding: “There is no evidence whatsoever that academies and free schools serve less healthy food than council-run schools”.
