ACE Advice

ACE Advice Our established team of consultants bring their expertise and knowledge to support Schools & Trusts.

We said school food reform was never just a menu change. The Government response reinforces that.It recognises many of t...
16/09/2026

We said school food reform was never just a menu change. The Government response reinforces that.

It recognises many of the practical pressures ACE Advice has been highlighting: kitchens and equipment, staffing, contracts, procurement, rising costs, pupil acceptance and food waste.

But the funding question remains. Although respondents called for additional and protected funding, no new ring-fenced implementation funding has been announced.

With implementation planned for September 2027, schools need to understand now whether their current catering provision can deliver what will be required.

Take a look through the six images for our initial response.

The standards may be national. The solution has to work in your school.

For schools and trusts, the task now is to understand what delivery will require across kitchens, staffing, contracts, procurement and budgets.

ACE Advice provides the independent operational and financial expertise needed to assess current provision and plan confidently for September 2027.

https://www.ace-advice.co.uk/catering-consultancy

Is your school getting the cleaning standard it’s paying for?A school can look clean, but that doesn’t necessarily mean ...
09/09/2026

Is your school getting the cleaning standard it’s paying for?

A school can look clean, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the cleaning service is working as efficiently or effectively as it could.

Staffing, cleaning routines, equipment, consumables and contract management all influence both the standard being delivered and the cost.

An independent review can help schools and multi-academy trusts understand whether their current arrangements are delivering the right service and value, and identify practical opportunities to improve performance.

From benchmarking costs and reviewing staffing levels to assessing working methods and contractor performance, sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can make a significant difference.

Find out more about ACE Advice’s school cleaning consultancy and contract support: https://www.ace-advice.co.uk/cleaning-consultancy

The new term has started. Is your catering service keeping up?Once pupils are back, the day-to-day reality of a school c...
01/09/2026

The new term has started. Is your catering service keeping up?

Once pupils are back, the day-to-day reality of a school catering service quickly becomes clearer.

Meal uptake, staffing, service times, menus and costs all come under real pressure - and small issues can become much more visible once the school is fully operational again.

For schools and multi-academy trusts, September is a good time to ask:

Is the service simply running — or is it working as well as it should?

An independent review can help identify where performance is strong, where pressure is building and whether the current service is still delivering the value you expect.

Find out more about ACE Advice’s school catering consultancy: https://www.ace-advice.co.uk/catering-consultancy

Breakfast is becoming a bigger part of the school food conversation.The proposed new School Food Standards include separ...
26/08/2026

Breakfast is becoming a bigger part of the school food conversation.

The proposed new School Food Standards include separate requirements for food served before the school day, alongside the wider rollout of free breakfast clubs.

That means schools may need to look beyond the lunch menu and consider how breakfast, breaktime and lunchtime provision work together.

Are the same standards, responsibilities and expectations running through every part of the school day - even where different teams or providers are involved?

With the Government’s response to the School Food Standards consultation expected in September, now is a useful time to understand how the different parts of school food provision fit together.

Find out how ACE supports schools and trusts with independent catering advice:

https://www.ace-advice.co.uk/catering-consultancy

Is your school ready for Benedict’s Law?From September 2026, schools in England will have new responsibilities around al...
19/08/2026

Is your school ready for Benedict’s Law?

From September 2026, schools in England will have new responsibilities around allergy safety — and the changes go much further than stocking spare adrenaline auto-injectors.

Schools and multi-academy trusts need to look at how allergy safety works across the whole school, including staff training, Individual Healthcare Plans, emergency response, incident reporting and catering arrangements.

One particularly important practical question is whether an adrenaline auto-injector could reach a pupil experiencing anaphylaxis within five minutes, wherever they are on the school site.

Our latest article looks at what schools and trusts should be reviewing now, including the implications for catering teams and external catering providers.

Benedict’s Law: Why Allergy Safety Is About More Than Stocking Emergency Pens

Read the full article and check whether your current arrangements are ready for September 2026: https://www.ace-advice.co.uk/news-insights/benedicts-law-school-allergy-safety

School food could soon become much more visible to parents.Under the Government’s proposals, schools would publish their...
03/08/2026

School food could soon become much more visible to parents.

Under the Government’s proposals, schools would publish their food policies and menus online, alongside plans for a named governor to take responsibility for school food.

It adds another layer to the reforms. As well as looking at what is being served, schools will need to consider how provision is monitored, who has oversight and how clearly they can demonstrate that standards are being met.

With the final arrangements expected in September, accountability is becoming another important part of the school food discussion.

Need support reviewing your school’s food policy and catering arrangements? Find out how ACE can help: https://www.ace-advice.co.uk/catering-consultancy

When the government publishes the final detail, the impact will reach across finance, operations, procurement, estates, ...
15/07/2026

When the government publishes the final detail, the impact will reach across finance, operations, procurement, estates, catering and governance.

Each area will have a different question to answer:

What will it cost?

Can it be delivered?

Do contracts need reviewing?

Is the kitchen capacity there?

What will change in practice?

Who is overseeing the whole response?

That is why preparation cannot sit in isolation.

Schools and trusts will need a joined-up view of how any confirmed changes affect their current school catering provision.

ACE Advice provides independent school catering consultancy and practical support to schools, academies and multi-academy trusts https://www.ace-advice.co.uk/

As the end of term approaches, schools and trusts will be heading into the summer with very different catering services,...
09/07/2026

As the end of term approaches, schools and trusts will be heading into the summer with very different catering services, kitchen capacity, staffing models, contracts and levels of meal uptake.

Some will be well placed to adapt. Others may face more complex operational or financial challenges.

That is why the practical impact of proposed School Food Standards will depend not only on the final policy, but on the current position of each school or trust.

There will not be one answer that works for everyone.

ACE Advice provides independent school catering consultancy, contract reviews and practical support for schools, academies and multi-academy trusts https://www.ace-advice.co.uk/

School catering funding can be more complex than it first appears.As schools and trusts wait for the next stage of schoo...
02/07/2026

School catering funding can be more complex than it first appears.

As schools and trusts wait for the next stage of school food reform, questions around Free School Meals, affordability, meal uptake and service costs are becoming increasingly important.

Our latest blog looks at why understanding the financial picture behind school catering matters as future expectations continue to develop https://www.ace-advice.co.uk/news-insights/school-catering-funding

When schools review catering provision, the conversation is rarely just about food.Procurement, contract performance, co...
03/06/2026

When schools review catering provision, the conversation is rarely just about food.

Procurement, contract performance, compliance, meal take-up, budgets and long-term value for money all play a part.

With changes to school food standards expected over the coming years, now may be a good time for schools, academies and trusts to review existing arrangements and consider whether current provision remains fit for purpose.

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