Food

Numerous scientific reports have outlined the case for a healthy diet that is low in fat, sugar and salt, and high in fibre, with plenty of starchy foods, fruit and vegetables. Many have emphasised the need for this to begin in childhood.

It is well established that obesity and many illnesses are related to poor diet or incorrectly prepared food.

• A healthy balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and starchy foods can help reduce the risk of diseases such as heart disease and some cancers.
• Good food hygiene practices can reduce the risk of food poisoning illnesses such as those caused by e-coli and salmonella.

Well nourished pupils are likely to be more receptive to teaching and will learn better.

Food knowledge and skills, including menu planning, cooking and gardening, have an important role to play in enriching our social development and in celebrating, nurturing and increasing our appreciation of cultural diversity.

1. Responsibilities

The  Governors recognise the important connection between a healthy diet and a child’s ability to learn effectively and achieve high standards in school. The Governors also recognise the role a school can play, as part of the larger community, to promote family health.

The Governors recognise that sharing food is a fundamental experience for all people; a primary way to nurture and celebrate our cultural diversity; and an excellent bridge for building friendships, and inter-generational bonds.

2. Mission

The educational mission is to improve the health of the entire school community by teaching children ways to establish and maintain life-long healthy and environmentally sustainable eating habits. The mission shall be accomplished through food education and skills (such as cooking and growing food), the food served in schools, and  academic content in the classroom.

3. Aims

3.1 To improve the health of pupils, staff and their families by helping to influence their eating habits through increasing their knowledge and awareness of food issues, including what constitutes a healthy and environmentally sustainable diet, and hygienic food preparation and storage methods.

3.2 To ensure pupils are well nourished at school, and that every pupil has access to safe, tasty, and nutritious food, and a safe, easily available water supply during the school day.

3.3 To ensure that food provision in the school reflects the ethical and medical requirements of staff and pupils e.g. religious, ethnic, vegetarian, medical, and allergenic needs.

3.4 To make the provision and consumption of food an enjoyable and safe experience.

3.5 To introduce and promote practices within the school to reinforce these aims, and to remove or discourage practices that negate them.

4. Objectives

4.1 To work towards ensuring that this policy is both accepted and embraced by

§         Governors

§         School management

§         Teachers and support staff

§         Pupils

§         Parents

§         Food providers

§         The school's wider community

4.2 To integrate these aims into all aspects of school life, in particular

§         Food provision within the school

§         The curriculum

§         Pastoral and social activities

5. Methods

5.1   The Governors, the Healthy Schools Forum and the School Council will oversee the development, implementation, and monitoring of this policy, and to encourage a participatory approach to meeting the objectives.  An annual reports will be sent to parents:

• Description of the level of service.
• Meal uptake.
• School meal promotion marketing plan.
• Progress in meeting food policy goals.
• Quality of food being served (hygiene, nutrition, sustainability).

5.2 Develop an understanding and ethos within the school of safe, tasty, nutritious, environmentally sustainable food, through both education and example.

Whilst food does not appear as a individual subject in its own right in  the Primary national curriculum, there are many opportunities throughout the curriculum for teaching children about issues related to food and nutrition. All children must work with food as part of the Design and Technology (D&T) curriculum. They learn food preparation and handling skills, food hygiene, analysing existing products and designing and making their own food products.

The importance of a balanced diet for health is covered in Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and the Science curriculum. Topics such as where food comes, how it is grown and cultural aspects of food can be covered in a range of subjects including D&T, Geography, Science, History and PSHE. Food related schemes of work for the  D&T curriculum include projects such as Eat More Fruit and Vegetables (Y1), understanding the balanced plate and, designing and making healthy sandwiches (Y3), bread and biscuits (Y5).

The growing club gives pupils the opportunity to plan, sow, tend and harvest a range of fruits and vegetables at school. It extends pupils' understanding of food chain issues by bringing the process directly under their control. The club is run as part of the formal school curriculum, and is  seen as a vital teaching and learning experience for pupils.

 PACKED LUNCH  GUIDELINES

What is a healthier lunchbox?

Variety is the key to a healthier lunchbox. Making a lunchbox healthier and appetising to pupils does not mean that they miss out on all the things that they enjoy eating. It is all about getting a balance and good variety of foods over a period of time, e.g. a week. No single food can provide all the essential nutrients that the body needs.

           What does a healthier lunchbox include?

The ‘Healthier Lunchbox Checklist’* is based on the food groups of the Balance of Good Health, which promotes balance and variety. The purpose of the checklist is to ensure something from each of the food groups is included in the lunchbox, providing a better balance of nutrients, and that it includes a drink. Bright and colourful foods with different tastes and textures should be included. Fruit and vegetables do this naturally. If the food looks great, even if it is healthier, then the chances are that children will want to try it.

There are many ways to keep the lunchbox exciting, for example adopt a colour theme for each day, take inspiration from holidays or different countries and foods that are in season or grown in the school/home garden.

Healthy Lunchbox Checklist

The checklist applies to all healthy individuals over 5 years of age. When choosing  products for healthier lunchboxes, you should try to choose those lower in salt, fat and sugar.

Have you included …

 a good portion of starchy food, e.g. wholegrain bap, thick sliced wholemeal bread, chapatti, pitta pocket, pasta or rice salad?

plenty of fruit and vegetables, e.g. an apple, satsuma, handful of cherry tomatoes or carrot sticks, mini-can of fruit chunks or small box of raisins?

a portion of semi skimmed milk or dairy food, e.g. individual cheese portion or pot of yogurt?

a portion of lean meat, fish or alternative, e.g. ham, chicken, beef, tuna, egg, or hummus?

a drink, e.g. a fruit juice, semi skimmed milk or water?