Nurseries urged to chose 'healthier option' instead of birthday cake in 'nanny state' crackdown

Guidance from the Department for Education urges nurseries to discourage parents from bringing in sugary treats to celebrate their child’s birthday.

Instead, early years settings are told to promote “healthy eating habits” by asking parents to bring “fruit platters” or non-edible gifts such as “bubble kits or stickers”.

Parents have criticised the move, claiming it saps the fun out of children’s celebrations.

Stuart Andrew, the shadow health secretary, said: “Instead of addressing the real challenges facing the NHS, Labour seems more focused on performative, petty policies.

"Blaming birthday cake is just a distraction that does nothing to fix the system and only highlights Labour’s lack of serious solutions.

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"Families don’t need the state policing party food, they need leadership that takes public health seriously and only the Conservatives can deliver that.”

The Department for Education’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) nutrition guidance, which came into force this term, states: “Many families like to celebrate their child’s birthday and other special events by bringing in a cake or sweets to the setting to share.

"This can mean that some children are eating these unhealthy foods several times a week.”

In communications seen by The Telegraph, one primary school told parents this week it had acted on the guidance. “We are not allowed to give children birthday cake or sweet treats any more due to guidance around healthy eating,” the message said.

The guidance for early years settings adds that communication of this new regime to parents is “key to ensuring they are informed and involved in supporting healthy eating habits at early years settings.”

Online, parents have reacted angrily to the changes. One mother said: “I would be fuming if my children’s nursery had done that. How pathetic can you get?

"We need to educate parents and children in healthy eating but forbidding cake and sweets is beyond your pay grade. They go through kids lunch boxes now and confiscate what they deem to be unhealthy. We are becoming a nanny state.”

Another told The Telegraph: “It was so normal in the 90s and before to bring in sweets on someone’s birthday. You know the world is a messed up place when kids can’t even have a piece of cake together on their peer’s birthday.”

Roxbourne Primary School in Harrow has outlawed cake “to help us promote healthy eating”, as well as to safeguard against allergies and other dietary requirements.

Instead, parents are encouraged to bring in gifts such as “stationery” for the class or to “donate a book to our school library.”

At Springfield Primary School in Rowley Regis, cake has been banned “due to dietary/religious/personal choice requirements and serious medical conditions & allergies.”

Children at Hillcross Primary School in Surrey are also banned from having cake because staff “do not have time to manage the sharing of food” and such a move would threaten its “healthy school status.”

Parents are instead encouraged to “donate a new reading book to go in the class library, a new game for the wet play box or purchase something from the Amazon wishlist.”

Tufnell Park Primary School has replaced cake with “songs, cards, hats and making children feel special,” while Belmore Primary School in Hayes has eliminated the “health and safety risks” of giving out cake by permitting children to wear their own clothes for the day on their birthday.

Hollymount Primary School in Wimbledon warns parents that their treat must be packaged, should not need cutting up, and “some children have dietary requirements so please do provide gluten free and vegan options if you are providing gifts for the whole class.”

St Mark’s in Mitcham also encourages parents to “consider gluten free, vegan and halal options.

Whybridge Junior School cites “Natasha’s Law” as the reason for banning homemade cakes.

The law, introduced after the death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who suffered a fatal allergic reaction to a Pret a Manger baguette, requires food businesses to provide full ingredient labelling on pre-packed foods made and sold on the same premises.

The Department for Education said that the guidance was not mandatory, and "the food and nutrition policy could include recommendations for special events to ensure any food brought in from home is balanced and meets the setting’s food guidelines".

The department added that the guidance is focused on early years providers in England focusing on children aged 0-5 years.

A Department for Education spokesperson told LBC: "This guidance has been completely misrepresented.

"Nurseries are encouraged to work with families to decide what is best for children’s celebrations —whether that’s with cake or other treats."

The Department of Health and Social Care was contacted for comment.