Dr Heather Ellis
Dr Heather Ellis, Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Sheffield, leads the ESRC-funded School Meals Service project. Her work investigates how education policy and school food have influenced children's experiences, opportunities, belonging and wellbeing over the past 120 years.
What is your research background and what are your current research interests?
I am a historian of education, and my research explores how education policy has shaped children's lives over the long term. While much of my earlier work focused on the history of universities, science and education in nineteenth-century Britain, my current research centres on the history and lived experience of school food.
I lead the ESRC-funded project The School Meals Service: Past, Present – and Future?, which combines historical research with oral histories and policy engagement to understand how school meals have evolved over the past 120 years. I'm particularly interested in how food in schools influences not only nutrition, but also educational opportunity, dignity, belonging and children's everyday experiences of school.
Are there any particular projects of yours that you are particularly proud of or excited about?
The ESRC School Meals project has been particularly rewarding because it has brought together historians, nutritionists, educators, policymakers and practitioners around a shared set of questions. Alongside academic publications, we've developed a major exhibition at the Food Museum, worked with schools and local authorities, various parliamentary groups including the APPG School Food, the Department for Education and organisations working to improve children's access to food. Recently our 'School Dinners' exhibition won the award for best touring exhibition at the 2026 Museum + Heritage Awards.
One aspect I'm especially proud of is the way the project has shown that historical research and oral histories can make a meaningful contribution to contemporary policy discussions.
Dr Heather Ellis
Senior Lecturer, School of Education
What do you think are the most high-potential or important future directions for the type of research that you do?
I think one of the biggest opportunities is to bring together different kinds of evidence more effectively. Historical research helps us understand how current systems and challenges have developed over time, while lived-experience research shows how policies are experienced in practice by children, families and those delivering services.
Food is a particularly good example of this. Questions about school meals are often framed in terms of nutrition or cost, but they are also about education, social inclusion, wellbeing and opportunity. Bringing these different perspectives together can help support more thoughtful and evidence-informed policymaking.
What are your links to the Institute for Sustainable Food?
My connection with the Institute comes through the School Meals Service project, which sits at the intersection of food, education, health and public policy. The Institute has provided a fantastic environment for working across disciplinary boundaries and connecting with colleagues interested in sustainable food systems from very different perspectives.
One of the things I particularly value is the opportunity to place children's experiences and educational outcomes alongside wider discussions about food systems, sustainability and social justice.
Can you tell us a fun fact about you?
Outside work, I love travelling with my family and swimming. I also lived in Berlin for several years while completing my doctorate, so I'm always happy to have an excuse to visit Germany.