News and Views: Healthy eating assembly
Healthy eating assembly for EYFS, KS1 and KS2
This healthy eating assembly gives pupils the opportunity to explore food choices, balanced school meals and who should decide what children eat at school. Using the government’s new school food standards announced in September 2026 as a real-world starting point, pupils consider the big question: What makes a school dinner healthy?
Designed for EYFS, KS1 and KS2, the resource can be used for a whole-school assembly, class assembly, PSHE or SMSC discussion, or a meaningful 15–30 minute classroom discussion. Pupils look closely at photographs, explore what it means to eat well and learn about planned changes to school meals in England, including more fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods, no deep-fried foods, and fewer foods high in fat, sugar or salt.
Should children be able to choose what they eat at school?
Rather than simply being told what makes a healthy diet, pupils are encouraged to think about food choices and form their own views.
They vote on the question Should children be able to choose what they eat at school?, consider different viewpoints and think about the choices children and adults make about food. Pupils then take part in a short debate before voting again and considering whether listening to other people’s ideas has changed their thinking.
What’s included in the healthy eating assembly?
The complete News and Views topic pack includes:
- ready-to-use assembly slides
- a detailed teacher guide with background information, suggested timings, discussion prompts and delivery guidance
- a photo pack
- differentiated word banks and discussion prompts for EYFS, KS1 and KS2
- phase-appropriate lesson and follow-up activities
- a family discussion prompt
- a pupil voice challenge
✨ How to use the launchable slides
Launch the presentation directly in your browser and use it on your interactive whiteboard.
🧭 Use the lesson menu at the start of the presentation to jump straight to the lesson you are teaching.
📝 Click Notes to see teacher guidance, answers and additional information where included.
⬅️ ➡️ To move through the presentation, click on the slides first, then use the left and right cursor arrow keys on your keyboard.
For technical and copyright reasons, these presentation slides are available to launch online rather than download.
Healthy eating and curriculum links
The assembly makes meaningful connections with British Values, SMSC, PSHE, science, oracy and media literacy, including making choices, personal responsibility, democracy, respecting different food choices and understanding how food and water help our bodies grow and stay well.
The activities avoid labelling foods as simply ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’. Instead, pupils explore the importance of eating a variety of foods, while recognising that some foods help our bodies grow and provide energy and others are best enjoyed less often.
Voting, discussion and debate give pupils structured opportunities to form their own opinions, give reasons, listen respectfully to different perspectives and reconsider their views.
This resource is part of News and Views, our collection of ready-to-use whole-school and class assemblies exploring current affairs, real-world issues and thought-provoking questions. Explore our primary assembly resources.
