Introduction

This resource is intended to help you and your school to develop and implement its own whole school food policy. Once established this policy can benefit pupils, staff, parents, catering staff and classroom assistants.

Why is it important?

• It contributes to the schools development plan
• It sets out a coordinated approach to food
• It communicates a schools values
• It gives parents/carers information on all aspects of food in schools
• It reinforces appropriate messages relating to food and nutrition, e.g. healthy eating messages
• It aims to improve health and well-being for all.

Health and well-being in schools

• The latest NI research (2008) indicates that obesity levels are rising every year. Statistics show that one in four girls and one in five boys in primary one (P1) are thought to be obese.
• In 2001, the health promotion agency published a survey ‘eating for health?’ which highlighted that children throughout Northern Ireland were high consumers of snacks with a high sugar and/or fat content such as sugary drinks and crisps. Two out of five boys and almost half of girls’ aged between 5 and 11 years was reported consuming confectionary at least once a day. In contrast to this study, the consumption of fruit and vegetables was extremely low. Only 12% consumed the recommended five portions a day while 15% did not consume any fruit or vegetables on a daily basis.
• Fit Futures report to the Ministerial Group on Public Health (Dec 2005) endorses the development of basic knowledge and skills necessary to encourage and support children and young people to eat healthily and to be active. Those who work with children and young people on a daily basis were also identified as an important way of enabling children to make healthier choices. There is evidence that whole school approaches can assist in preventing overweight and obesity in young children.
• The school based setting is an ideal way for children to learn and explore healthy eating practices. Introducing policies such as ‘Whole School Food Policy’ can help make it more acceptable for children and can help encourage healthy eating patterns throughout life.

How to develop and implement a whole school food policy?
The 5 step guide:

1. Discuss the concept of a whole school food policy with Governors, Senior Management Team and Staff in order to identify the perceived benefits for the school (see ‘why is it important?’ section). It is important at this stage to also establish a working group to begin development.
2. Have a look at what is currently happening. This may be sub divided between members of the working group.
   Consider;
• Is the approach to teaching food and nutrition within the curriculum consistent?
• How often do the children cook?
• What type of food service do you have? Are there healthy options?
• Do you have a breakfast club or fruit tuck shop?
• Is there adequate provision of drinking water?
• Does your school participate in schemes such as ‘Healthy Eating Circle’
• Does your school have an opinion on vending machines?
• Is there a commitment to staff training regarding food and nutrition issues?

From the above, tease out good areas and those in need of improvement. Start to formulate an aim and objectives for your policy and establish targets and evaluation methods (see sample policy).
3. Draft a policy document.
   Nominate a working group member to do this in line with the results from the previous point.
   Try to keep the policy short and precise, set realistic targets and state who is responsible for implementing and monitoring each area (see sample policy).
   This draft should be made available to all staff and general comments/feedback welcomed. Specify a deadline for returning comments.
4. Disseminate a revised policy document.
   Modify the draft policy taking into consideration the responses received. This revised policy should now be ratified and signed off from a Governor and a Senior Management Team member.
   
   Consider formats for dissemination, for example,
   • A flyer highlighting key issues for parents
   • Displays around the school such as fruit and veg.
   • Inclusion on website or in school newsletter
   • Press release to local newspapers as a community interest story.
5. Implementation and evaluation.
   Put the policy into action and let people know what is required from them and ensure they can do it. At regular intervals, for example, 6 months, re-appraise the policy (it is having an effect on food choice, parental decisions, behaviour etc…). Highlight all successes to staff, parents and pupils.

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Sample Policy

School name:
Date of policy implementation:
Date of review:

This document is freely available to the entire school community. It has been made available on the school website and is included in the school prospectus.

Aim
To ensure that all aspects of food and nutrition in school promote the health and well being of pupils, staff and visitors to our school.

Objectives: What do we want to achieve?

1. Review formal curriculum to ensure information relating to food and nutrition in different lesson areas is consistent and up to date.
2. Work with the school caterer to trial a healthy breakfast club, serving a limited range of items.
3. Establish a food week in school.
4. Ensure that the vending machine has a variety of drinks available, e.g. water and milkshakes.
5. Pilot an after schools cookery club.
6. Ensure that teacher with responsibility for food has Basic Food Hygiene training.

Guidelines: How are we going to meet our objectives?

1. Formal Curriculum: set up cross curricular working group to audit food based topics at each key stage.
2. Breakfast: work with caterer on a menu of breakfast options at a reasonable cost. Publicise club in school newsletter, plus through flyers home to parents.
3. Food Week: Select one week during the year when the main school focus is on healthy eating and food, for example, food from different cultures.
4. Vending: Inform supplier that a range of drink choices must be made available, or terminate contract.
5. Extra curricular: establish an after school cookery club.
6. CPD: send teacher in charge of food on a 1 day basic food hygiene course.

Monitoring and Evaluation: how do we know our objectives are being met?

1. Formal Curriculum: Head of Year to receive summary and observe a sample of lessons.
2. Breakfast: School caterer to report on number of pupils using service. Ask pupils, parents and teachers their thoughts about the club and the range of food provided.
3. Food Week: Head teacher to present certificates in school assembly. Display of photographs for parents evening.
4. Vending: Schools secretary to review vending content once per month to ensure supplier meeting with school wishes.
5. Extra curricular: Club recipe book to be produced and photographs posted on school web site.
6. CPD: Teacher in charge of food disseminates materials from training day to other teachers.

If you have any queries about this policy or any other UCF school programmes, please contact:

Clare Smith
40-44 Eglantine Avenue, Belfast BT9 6DX, Northern Ireland.
Tel: 028 9066 3281
Fax: 028 9066 8715
Email: claresmith@ulstercancer.org

Please also refer to www.healthpromotionagency.org.uk for the Northern Ireland Food in School Toolkit.

You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the downloaded version of the sample policy. Please click here to download it.

 

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