East Bergholt CEVC Primary School

Whole School Food Policy

Introduction

In our school we are committed to giving all our pupils consistent messages about all aspects of health to help them understand the impact of particular behaviours and encourage them to take responsibility for the choices they make. This policy should be read alongside the school's PSHE, Health Safety and Drug Education Policies.

The school supports the '5 a day' campaign to encourage children to eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, which has been shown to reduce the onset of certain life threatening conditions as well as being helpful in tackling and preventing childhood obesity.

Rationale

East Bergholt CEVCP is a healthy school. It is important that we consider all elements of our work to ensure that we promote health awareness to all members of the school community. We can provide a valuable role model to pupils and their families with regard to food and healthy eating patterns. Through effective leadership, the school ethos and the curriculum, all school staff can bring together all elements of the school day to create an environment which supports a healthy lifestyle.

Aims and Objectives

• To ensure that we are giving consistent messages about food and health
• To give our pupils the information they need to make healthy choices
• To promote health awareness
• To contribute to the healthy physical development of all members of our school community
• To encourage all children to take part in the '5 a day' campaign

Implementation of our Food Policy

We do not use vending machines in our school and we do not run a tuck shop but if we decide to do so in the future, the Food Policy will be applied to all items sold.

Midmorning Snack

We belong to the School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme and both our KS1 and Foundation Stage class are given washed fruit or vegetables, which is shared in a family setting for the Foundation Stage class. Children are given responsibility for passing the fruit to others and for helping to clear away.

KS2 children bring fruit, a piece of vegetable or a piece of cheese which they eat after morning playtime.

School lunches and packed lunches

All our school meals are provided by Suffolk County Catering Service which has a healthy food policy as part of their tender. Where possible, this includes the use of fresh fruit and vegetables each day as a choice for the children. They provide a vegetarian and non-vegetarian option, both of which pay regard to nutritional balance and healthy options. Many children bring packed lunch to school. We regularly include newsletter items about the contents of these and we do not allow sweets, chocolate bars (although we do allow chocolate covered biscuits) or fizzy drinks.

Water for all

Cooled water is freely available throughout the school day to all members of the school community in cooler fountains in the KS1 and KS2 corridors. Water fountains are located on the KS1 and KS2 play grounds.

All children are encouraged to drink water from their water bottles (kept in the classrooms) at any time except during the assembly. Regular water and brain breaks are built into the school day and curriculum by class teachers.

Food across the Curriculum

Throughout our thematic 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.

Literacy provides children with the opportunity to explore poetry, persuasion, argument and narrative work using food and food related issues as a stimulus, e.g. writing to a company to persuade them to use non-GM foods in children's food and drink etc.

Maths can offer the possibility of understanding nutrition labelling, calculating quantities for recipes, weighing and measuring ingredients.

Science provides an opportunity to learn about the types of food available, their nutritional composition, digestion and the function of

different nutrients in contributing to health and how the body responds to exercise.

RE provides the opportunity to discuss the role of certain foods in the major religions of the world. Children experience different foods associated with religious festivals.

ICT can afford pupils the opportunity to research food issues using the internet and other electronic resources. Pupils design packaging and adverts to promote healthy food choices.

Food Technology as part of DT provides the opportunity to learn about where foods come from and apply healthy eating messages through practical work with food, including preparation and cooking.

PSHE encourages young people to take responsibility for their own health and well-being, teaches them how to develop a healthy lifestyle and addresses issues such as body image. Pupils are able to discuss issues of interest to young people, e.g. advertising and sustainable development.

Music can provide pupils with knowledge about different properties of cooked and uncooked foods where pulses and grains are used in unpitched percussion instruments.

Geography provides a focus on the natural world and changing environment, offering the chance to consider the impact our consumer choices have on people across the world who rely on growing food as their source of income. History provides insight into changes in diet and food over time.

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.

School visits provide pupils with activities to enhance their physical development e.g. to activity centres.

Outdoor learning education allows the children to grow, harvest and cook their own food from our polytunnel and raised beds. We also have a very active gardening club. Each links with sustainable objectives contributing to our Eco Flag.

Learning with our international curriculum partners will help us to understand food production throughout the world and help us to learn about the importance of Fair Trade.

Displays and assemblies reinforce healthy eating as do School Council.

Partnership with parents and carers

The partnership of home and school is critical in shaping how children and young people behave, particularly where health is concerned. Each must reinforce the other. This is not always easy but our school is well placed to lead by example. Parents and carers are regularly updated on our water and packed lunch policies through school and class newsletters. We ask parents not to send in fizzy drinks and we remind them that only water may be drunk during the school day, except at lunch when children may drink juice or squash.

During out of school events, e.g. school discos etc, the school will encourage parents and carers to consider the Food Policy in the range of refreshments offered for sale to the children.

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.

Monitoring and review

Classteachers are responsible for the curriculum development of the Food Policy. The Headteacher and PSHE Coordinator are responsible for supporting colleagues in the delivery of the Food Policy. The LA is responsible for ensuring the quality of the food offered as part of the contract with the caterer. The Governors monitor and check that the school policy is upheld.

This policy will be reviewed every two years to take account of new developments.

Signed:

Written: June 2011

Review and consultation date: June 2011

To be reviewed June 2013