As part of the School Food Plan, the Department of Health have set standards for all food served in schools. These standards have become mandatory in all schools from January 2015. With regards to sugar, the standards say that confectionery must not be served as part of the school lunch. However, regulations state that there are situations in which the rules may be overlooked, for instance, when food is being used as reward for behaviour, effort or achievement. Action on Sugar believes that this section should not be included, and that schools should be encouraged to eliminate sweets and confectionery altogether. If they do not, children will continue to associate sweet foods with reward and this could lead to them becoming more accustomed to sugar and unaware of its potential dangers. 

2015 School Food Standards can be found here. 

The Children's Food Trust also provide the Voluntary Food and Drink Guidelines for Early Years settings in England. This is a guide that is designed for all early years providers and practitioners providing food or drinks to children aged 1 to 5. 

The guide can be found here.