The Litmus Partnership, one of our NASS partners and a consultancy specialising in catering and facilities management, has been working with NASS member Treloar School and College to pilot an innovative Consumer Insights programme that helps learners with different communication needs share their views on school meals and the wider mealtime experience.
Now, through its Litmus Haven Fund, six special schools have the opportunity to join the next stage of the pilot at no cost, helping to shape the programme while gaining practical, benchmarked insights to support continuous improvement. Natasha Tsvakayi, Research and Insight Analyst at The Litmus Partnership talks about the work they have done with Treloars and how special schools can get involved with the pilot.
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Understanding what pupils think about their school meals is an important part of delivering a catering service that meets their needs. But for many special schools, traditional written surveys aren't always the best way to gather meaningful feedback.
That's why the team here at Litmus has launched what we believe is the first Consumer Insight programme pilot designed specifically for SEND settings.
Instead of relying on written questionnaires, the programme uses accessible visual communication tools that enable pupils to share their views on everything from food choices and portion sizes to dining spaces and the overall mealtime experience. It can also be used alongside communication approaches already familiar within schools, including Talking Mats.
We recently piloted our programme with students at Treloar School and Treloar College. We collaborated closely with Treloar's Head of Communications to design the survey, ensuring we asked the right questions in the most effective way. The survey was live for one month, after which we analysed the results and produced a detailed report of the findings. The report was then shared with the Catering Manager and catering team, enabling them to review the feedback and implement improvements where appropriate.
Alongside this, students took part in the project as part of their work experience curriculum, spending three to four months creating a student-friendly version of the report to share the findings with their peers. This helped ensure the results were communicated in an engaging and accessible way for the wider student community.
Reflecting on the experience, Kristy Quantrell, Catering Manager at Treloar School and Treloar College, said:
“It was fantastic to be involved in trialling Litmus' new Consumer Insight programme. The picture-led approach really resonated with our students and enabled them to share their opinions in a way that felt natural and enjoyable. We believe this new tool has huge potential to help other special schools better understand and respond to their students' needs.”
Would your special school like to get involved?
Our SEND Catering Consumer Insight Pilot Programme is an early-stage initiative designed to explore inclusive and flexible ways of capturing student voice in SEND settings. Rather than a finished toolkit, the programme is being shaped through real-world learning in partnership with schools. Current development focuses on:
- Suitability for every level of communication ability
- SEND-appropriate questions
- Guidance on supported and facilitated completion
The pilot is being delivered through our Litmus Haven Fund, an initiative that provides consultancy support to organisations that may not otherwise have the budget to access it. As part of the pilot, schools can take part at no cost, contribute feedback and learning to help shape the programme, and receive clear, concise outputs highlighting key themes, priorities and areas for improvement, with an initial focus on gathering meaningful insight.
Participating schools will also benefit from our extensive experience across the education sector, with Consumer Insight findings benchmarked against wider school catering data to provide valuable context and support continuous improvement.
We’re inviting special schools to take part in the pilot. Places are limited to the first six schools, and the window to opt in is between September and December 2026, with surveys and project activity beginning in January 2027.
Get in touch with the team to register your interest by visiting https://litmuspartnership.co.uk/contact-us/ and a member of the Litmus team will be in touch to discuss the programme and next steps.