Background Information to the school
There are 210 children on roll at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary school from Reception to Year 6 (September 2020).
Our designated catering contractor is Food For Thought
Aims and Objectives
The school aims to:
- Improve the health of pupils and staff by helping to influence their eating habits through increasing their knowledge and awareness of food issues
- Ensure pupils and staff have access to tasty and nutritious food at break and lunch, and a safe, easily available water supply during the school day
- Present consistent, informed messages about healthy eating within school through all school practices
- Ensure that food provision in the school reflects the medical and ethical requirements of pupils and staff for example medical, allergenic, religious, ethnic and vegetarian needs
- Ensure the provision and consumption of food is an enjoyable and safe experience
- Ensure that all pupils who arrive at school without eating breakfast are provided with something to eat
- To work with parents to encourage healthy eating habits
To enable access to healthy options in the workplace.
- To ensure that all food served within the school adheres to current government standards and guidelines
- To ensure that children have access to free, fresh drinking water throughout the school day.
School Lunches
All our school meals are provided by Food For Thought services and meet current government standards. School meals include the use of fresh fruit and vegetables each day as a choice for the children. They provide a hot and cold option, both of which pay regard to nutritional balance and healthy options. All children regardless of their place in the queue or time slot given for lunch are able to select a nutritionally balanced lunch though choices may be different. Meals are reviewed at least twice a year and menus are displayed for pupils and staff and distributed to parents.
It is important to note that not all parents take up their FSM entitlement.
We encourage children to choose hot lunches through school initiatives such as theme days etc. We endeavour to offer a happy dining experience for our pupils and try to balance time and space to achieve this aim.
Packed Lunches
Many children bring packed lunch to school. The Head Teacher and Healthy school’s co-ordinator monitor packed lunches regularly as do the Lunchtime assistants on a more daily basis and the school includes newsletter items about their contents. We encourage parents and pupils to think carefully about what to include through school initiatives.
We do not allow sweets, chocolate bars or any drinks as water is provided.
A healthy lunch box should include fruit and/or vegetables (e.g. a salad or carrot sticks) and water is the best drink to provide.
We would encourage parents to include a cool pack in the lunch box particularly during the warmer months.
While at present we believe it is important for parents to have a choice in what they give to their child, if a lunch box is continually found to contain unsuitable and unhealthy food then they may be asked to attend a parent meeting with the Head Teacher to discuss this matter.
Water for all
Fresh cooled water is freely available throughout the school day indoors and outdoors to all members of the school community. Regular water and brain breaks are built into the school day and curriculum by class teachers. EYFS and KS1 children are also reminded to drink water at their snack time.
Religious and Ethical Dietary Requirements
Parents are asked to inform the school of any special dietary requirements upon entry of their child into the school. The school lunch menu will offer a daily hot and cold vegetarian option to accommodate this group of pupils. The school’s catering manager will be made aware of any children that require such diets.
Food across the Curriculum
In EYFS, KS1 and KS2, 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.
Literacy provides children with the opportunity to explore poetry, persuasion, argument and narrative work using food and food-related issues as a stimulus.
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 food comes 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 4
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 un-pitched 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.
Gardening provides pupils with opportunities to grow their own food, harvest and sell.
School visits provide pupils with activities to enhance their physical development, e.g. to activity /residential centres.
Out-of-hours learning, extra-curricular activities include gardening clubs from time to time as well as extensive PE activities.
Theme days, teach children about food technology and safety in food preparation as well as healthy choices. Pupils’ explore how much waste the school produces and talk about the importance of not wasting food, but also opportunities to recycle/compost it.
Partnership with parents and carers
Parents and carers are regularly updated on our food policies through school newsletters and website. We ask parents to provide healthy packed lunches and hold information evenings to discuss hidden sugars in our foods. Parents are also able to sample food from ‘Absolute Catering’ and discuss food options with our caterers.
Role of the Governors
Governors play an essential role in agreeing and ratifying the policy. They will then monitor and check that the policy is upheld throughout the school. They can also offer guidance where a member of the Governing body has particular expertise in this area. Governors meet with the school council who discuss the meals and feedback the meetings they have held with the cook. From time to time our caterers provide refreshments for our Governors to try.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The breakfast and after school-club serve foods in accordance with this policy. Teachers and Coordinators are responsible for the curriculum development of the food policy. The head teacher and PSHE or Healthy Schools Coordinator are responsible for supporting colleagues in the delivery of the food policy. The LA is responsible for ensuring food offered adheres to government standards and will periodically undertake unannounced audits at the school to ensure these standards are being met.
This policy will be reviewed in three years to take account of new developments and to ensure the school is as healthy as possible.
Healthy eating for staff
As an employer, we will encourage staff members to engage in a healthy lifestyle. We will encourage employees to make healthy eating choices through the use of promotional and motivational resources, e.g., encouraging employees to make healthy choices from the canteen menu. They will also have access to water in all meeting and training rooms. We will also work to educate staff about the positive impact of exercise and encourage them to participate in different initiatives (Eg; Kick off Kilometer).
Dissemination of the policy
All staff and governors will receive a copy of this policy. Electronic copies will kept alongside all other school policies. Copies will be available in school for parents and visitors on the website.
Policy written by: J Lewis
Date of policy: September 2020
Review date: September 2022
Policy written by: J Lewis
Date of policy: September 2020
Review date: September 2022