a) Food Policy
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At
* A safe, secure school where adults and children feel happy, valued and repected. * A school where everybody works hard to achieve the best. * A reflective school where there is openness, honesty, and a desire to improve.
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Aim
* To ensure that all aspects of food and drink promote the health and well being of pupils, staff and visitors to our school.
Rationale
The school recognises the important connection between healthy eating and a pupil’s ability to learn effectively and achieve high standards. We ensure that we promote health awareness in all members of the school community and hope to provide a valuable role model to pupils and their families with regard to food and healthy eating patterns. Through the whole school community we hope to create an environment that supports a healthy lifestyle.
Objectives
· To ensure that we are giving consistent approach to food and drink provision throughout the school day.
· To increase pupils knowledge of what a healthy diet is through the curriculum, which supports health and wellbeing, and giving pupils the information they need to make healthy choices.
· To contribute to the healthy physical development of all members of our school community.
· To offer Healthy food and drink at all appropriate opportunities including high quality school meals.
· To have access to easily available, free fresh drinking water during the day.
· To ensure that food provision in the school reflects the ethical, cultural and medical requirements of staff and pupils, eg religious, ethnic, vegetarian, medical and allergenic needs.
· To make the provision and consumption of food an enjoyable and safe experience encouraging politeness and good table manners when eating.
· To work in partnership with parents and carers to promote healthy lifestyles.
Guidelines
We follow Government and local guidelines to help us meet our objectives. The school codes of practice are stored in the main office and are followed by all staff.
Healthy Snacks
All children are entitled to a piece of fruit or vegetable at the end of lunchtime, provided by the Governments free Fruit scheme. Children in Year 2 are given responsibility to help recycle, through collecting the fruit waste and composting this. Children are encouraged to bring a piece of fruit or vegetable to school to eat after break time, and a drink. No other food will be consumed at this time.
School lunches
All our school meals are provided in-house. They follow nutritional guidelines set out through the DfES. We have a healthy food policy and aim to provide unprocessed food, with fresh fruit and vegetables each day as a choice for the children. We provide a hot meal, and also a jacket potato option, both of which are in line with the Governments nutritional requirements. Fresh salad items are provided daily, including a portion of tuna. We also do not serve any fried items. We follow a non-discriminatory procedure to encourage free school meals take up, to ensure all children have access to a hot meal. We involve and consult with parents and pupils about food choices. Menus are sent home to parents, displayed in school and are also on our school website. There is a food in schools working group who are consulted about school meals.
Packed Lunches
Many children bring a packed lunch to school, which we encourage to be balanced and healthy. We regularly include newsletter items about the contents of these and we do not allow sweets or fizzy drinks. Our “Bitesize” newsletter, written by the Healthy Schools working party provides parents with information about alternative suggestions for healthy lunches, and parents are encouraged to put any suggestions into our “Bitesize” box. Children have easy access to drinking water at lunchtime.
Water
Water is freely available throughout the school day to all children and staff. Children may drink water at any time except during assembly. Drinking breaks are built into the school day after playtime and lunchtime. We recognise that water has a positive contribution to health. We will send out leaflets about the value of drinking water to parents.
Dining room environment
The Dining room environment is designed to encourage social interaction. Fresh drinking water is available and positive table manners are encouraged. The children have been allocated plenty of time to eat and digest their meal. Infant children have appropriately sized tables, which are easily moved by staff, and they also have a dedicated servery. Early entry children have their own Mid Day Assistant.
Food across the Curriculum
There are a number of opportunities for pupils to develop knowledge and understanding of health, including healthy eating patterns and practical skills that are needed to understand where food comes from such as shopping, preparing and cooking food. There are cross curricular links to Literacy, Numeracy, Science, RE and Food Technology as part of DT. In PSHE lessons we encourage children to take responsibility for their own health and well-being, teaching them how to develop a healthy lifestyle and addresses issues such as body image. Physical Education provides pupils with the opportunity to develop physically and to understand the practical impact of sport, exercise and other physical activity such as dance and walking. Practical activities provide active teaching and learning opportunities, in particular the preparation of food and maintaining personal health. This is reinforced through assemblies and celebrations. When parents come in to help in school they will be working in accordance with this policy.
Parents are expected to inform the school of any allergies and other diet related medical conditions. The school will support those with dietary needs throughout the day.
Work with partner agencies
We work closely with the school nurse who informs us of any regional issues that may affect the children. She also comes into school to promote healthy eating with various classes, and runs drop in sessions for parents for advice on healthy eating. We encourage other agencies to come into school to promote a healthy lifestyle and to be positive role models. From time to time we also target funds through the Local Delivery Group to promote healthy eating and food issues.
Training on school food
Staff have opportunities for CPD and staff have attended training on food hygiene, preparation and handling.
Health and Safety
All food preparation will be carried out with good food hygiene and preparation standards. Health and safety is the responsibility of all staff. We usually have a number of pupils with food allergies in school, particularly peanuts. We therefore ask all parents to refrain from sending items containing nuts in lunchboxes.
Role of the Governors
Governors monitor and check that the school policy is upheld and can also offer guidance where a member of the body has particular expertise in this area. We have a named Governor for Healthy eating.
Monitoring and review
Reviews take place formally and informally and include pupils, governors, staff and parents. Opportunities will be taken to inform parents about this policy and respond to their comments.
Steps will be taken to consult pupils, including the School council about food and drink provision at school. We also ask for feedback from parents on our food provision through our healthy school programme, and pupil and parent surveys.
The school meals will be monitored by the management team, ensuring they are following the Governments new food standards. The take up of school lunches will also be monitored, and used to inform future planning and menu choices. The Head teacher is responsible for the provision of school meals.
The Head teacher is responsible for supporting colleagues in the delivery of the Food Policy. The Head teacher is the named person responsible for all aspects of food in school. Monitoring will be the responsibility of the Head, who will report to Governors. Progress with the healthy eating aspect of healthy schools will be monitored as part of School Improvement Planning. The monitoring of teaching of curriculum will be carried out by Key stage leaders. All teachers have a responsibility to carry out the taught curriculum.
The Cook, in conjunction with the Head Teachers of both schools is responsible for the content, preparation and cooking of school meals.
This policy has been developed by a working group with representatives from the whole school community. This policy becomes effective from the Autumn Term 2007 and will be reviewed annually to take account of new developments.
Conclusion
We aim to be a healthy school which promotes the health and well-being of our pupils and staff through a well planned, taught curriculum. We will do this in a physical and emotional environment that promotes learning and healthy lifestyle choices.