Jamie Oliver's school dinners are giving pupils some food for thought

Children who eat Jamie Oliver's healthy school dinners do far better in tests and fall ill less often, reveals a new study.

Five years since the Naked Chef launched his healthy eating campaign in schools across the country his lunches are continuing to produce a marked improvement in tests.

Researcher Michele Belot, of Oxford University, said it proved the importance of good food in schools.

With help from Jonathan James, of Essex University, the pair examined the test results for 11-year-old pupils in the 80 schools in Greenwich, south east London, where Oliver's Channel 4 series launched its healthy dinners campaign.

They then compared them to children who were not served the nutritional food in schools in neighbouring local boroughs.

The results showed that between 2004 and 2008 there was an average rise of 6 per cent in the number of pupils reaching a high level in English tests and an 8 per cent increase in science. Those reaching the basic levels in English and maths rose by 3 per cent, while basic levels in science increased by 2 per cent.

In addition, the number of children marked as having authorised absences for sickness fell by 14 per cent in healthy eating schools since 2004.

The research will be published in the Journal of Health Economics later this month. The School Food Trust's chief executive, Judy Hargadon, said: "Our own research in schools shows clear links between the food that children eat at lunchtime, the environment in which they eat and their concentration and behaviour in lessons after lunch.

"In our studies in both primary and secondary schools, pupils were more focused and alert with their teachers after a healthier meal in a better dining space, showing just how important a good lunchtime is for children's learning."