Assistant chef Craig Jennings, left, and catering manager Sue Gonzalez at Cheney School's new canteen Pupils at an Oxford school which has ditched junk food say they are not worried about a Government ban on sweets, fizzy drinks and cheap meat.

The uptake of school dinners at Cheney School in Headington has been increasing by five per cent each week since a new healthy menu was introduced this term as part of a £100,000 revamp of catering facilities.

According to staff, behaviour, concentration and attention has improved since the old diet of burgers, chips and vending machine products was replaced with a menu of pasta, hot meals, salads and jacket potatoes.

Education Secretary Ruth Kelly announced at the Labour Party Conference yesterday that sweets, chocolates and cheap burgers would be among the foods banned from canteens and vending machines from next September.

The education watchdog Ofsted has been given the power to inspect school meals as part of the reforms, which follow a high-profile campaign by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

Work began last term to renovate the rundown kitchens, replace old cooking equipment and extend the servery.

Oxford Community School catering manager Sue Gonzalez retrained staff over the summer and is now running kitchens at both schools.

She said: "It's going fantastically. The children have been responding really well.

"Their attention and concentration levels have gone up in the afternoons and there's a much better atmosphere in the dining room."

Pupil Maia Banerji-Bergh, 11, said: "I really like the food here especially the hot meals. I would not like it if they banned chocolate everywhere but I don't mind if it's just at school.

"I think a lot of people would mind though and would bring their own in."

Ms Kelly said yesterday that it was time to end the "scandal" of junk food in schools.

She said: "I am absolutely clear: the scandal of junk food served every day in school canteens must end.

"So today I can announce that we will ban cheap processed bangers and burgers being served in schools from next September. And because children need healthy options throughout the day, I can also announce that from next September no school will be able to have vending machines selling crisps, chocolates and sugary drinks."