A new pilot has been adopted in Oldham to give insight into the nutritional value of school meals and where schools may be failing to meet food standards.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and Department for Education (DfE) have launched a 'school food standards compliance' pilot across 18 participating local authorities in England, including in Oldham.

The pilot was initially outlined in the Levelling Up white paper this year in which the government set out a mission to transform the UK into a more equal society, starting with the way in which schools comply with school food standards.

The joint initiative, supported by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), will see local councils introduce additional questions when assessing school's food standards throughout the duration of the pilot which will run in line with the full academic year.

This could include nutrition-focused questions and observations such as menu checks.

It is hoped the rigorous assessment will identify any potential areas of non-compliance and the local authority will work with the school to help it reach the standards required.

Professor Susan Jebb, FSA Chair, said: "Schools play a crucial role in providing children with healthy food to help them concentrate and thrive in the classroom and beyond.

"We all want to ensure that the food served in schools meets the standards that have been set.

"This project will give insight into what’s happening in schools today and identify whether additional support is needed to help them to do the very best they can for children and drive positive change in the school food system."

Schools minister, Nick Gibb, added that a healthy school meal is essential when it comes to supporting a child's development.

He added: "This pilot will help schools meet the school food standards and will ensure more schools offer balanced and nutritious meals to support education throughout the day."

Oldham Council is one of 18 local authorities selected to participate in the nationwide pilot but is the only one chosen from the Greater Manchester region.