Healthy Schools Food, Nutrition and Dental
We are a Healthy School. Research shows that we learn better when we are well hydrated and we eat a healthy and varied diet.
Children are mainly taught about Healthy lifestyles through Science, Design Technology (Food Tech), and Personal, Social and Health Education but it can be taught through many other areas of the curriculum.
The National Curriculum Science (KS1 and 2) requires that children are taught to work scientifically with and develop knowledge of plants and animals (including humans), how they grow, their habitats, diet, nutrition and health.
Children must be taught to observe and develop understanding of seasonal change and seasonality.
National Curriculum Design and Technology
Cooking and nutrition
As part of their work with food, pupils should be taught how to cook and apply the principles of nutrition and healthy eating. Instilling a love of cooking in pupils will also open a door to one of the great expressions of human creativity. Learning how to cook is a crucial life skill that enables pupils to feed themselves and others affordably and well, now and in later life.
Pupils should be taught to:
Key stage 1
- use the basic principles of a healthy and varied diet to prepare dishes
- understand where food comes from.
Key Stage 2
- understand and apply the principles of a healthy and varied diet
- prepare and cook a variety of predominantly savoury dishes using a range of cooking techniques
- understand seasonality, and know where and how a variety of ingredients are grown, reared, caught and processed.
Our School Sugar Smart Pledge
Our school will .......
- will undertake three Sugar Smart assemblies per school year.
- will promote the Sugar Smart logo and key messages to parents/carers, staff and young people, via our school website, the school newsletter and around school.
- be compliant to the National School Food Standards for lunch and for food other than school lunch.
- actively promote and encourage Sugar Smart drinks throughout the school site, eg water and milk.
- participate in Fruity Fridays with everybody in school bringing or buying only fresh fruit/veg and Sugar Smart drinks for Tuck.
Healthy, Balanced Diet
Children are taught about healthy eating through different areas of the curriculum. They take part in food preparation and cooking at least 3 times a year e.g. designing and making their own salad.
Recipes are mainly savoury, as we are a Sugar Smart School, and we use fruit in cakes, biscuits or desserts.
Growing Food
Children are taught about how food is grown, reared and transported through many different areas of the curriculum, e.g. calculating food miles in Maths/Geography.
All children are involved with growing food at least 3 times a year.
They also develop a sense of seasonality through gardening experiences. Where possible we harvest and eat the produce they grow.
We encourage them to think about caring for the environment. They may also grow plants to encourage pollinators and to learn about parts of a plant and their function.
Green Club
There is a very active Green Club in school who take a leading role in:
- developing and looking after the school garden
- talking about their projects during assemblies
- running stalls at the School Fair
- entering garden competitions such as Bristol in Bloom, where we achieved a Gold Award for our school gardening.
Food in School
School Dinners
Nutritious school dinners are provided every day by our school cook and kitchen staff.
These are free at present for KS1 children.
We encourage the children to have a school meal where possible.
We have worked on improving the dining experience by having extra student helpers to help younger children.
Some children also receive stickers from dinner staff for good behaviour, politeness and eating all their lunch.
Packed Lunch
If your child has packed lunch, we encourage them to have a healthy balanced meal and have reusable containers for food and drink as much as they can.
Their meal should include fruit, salad and vegetables and a healthy drink, e.g. preferably water or a small amount of fruit juice or smoothie (150ml is the recommended amount).
Lots of information about packed lunches can be found on Change4life NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/change4life
We are currently working on healthy packed lunches in school and the children are learning about the Eatwell Guide which provides information about food groups and balanced diet.
Food other than School Dinner
We don’t give out sweets or sugary snacks/ drinks as rewards and the children should not bring sweets into school. We don’t allow children to give out sweets in school on their birthday.
Any food provided in school is broadly in line with recommendations of The School Food Standards and The Children’s Food Trust. https://www.ufi.co.uk/projects/children%E2%80%99s-food-trust
Snacks at break time
Reception and Key Stage 1 children have free fruit provided. We encourage them gently to try different ones and most of them really enjoy this. They could also bring in their own fruit/vegetable snack.
We prefer you not to send in packaged snacks which are high in added sugar and cause more litter problems in school.
KS2 children may bring their own fruit or vegetable snack. Low sugar snacks like rice cakes and cheese, crackers, bread sticks or a piece of bread can be brought in for break times.
Milk is provided until they are 5 and can then be purchased from the dairy (see the school office for details). Children are provided with water or they may bring their own water bottle with water in.
Dental
Every year new Reception children have a Dental workshop with a qualified dental nurse.
Children are encouraged to brush twice a day and visit a dentist regularly. As we are a Sugar Smart school, they are only provided with milk or water to drink during the school day.
We encourage them to bring in their own reusable water bottle which should be taken home to wash regularly. This should be used for water only and refilled daily.
Current Projects
Over the past year we have really focussed on developing our cooking skills and we are very pleased with the progress and achievement of children across the school. The teachers have noticed how keen the children are to try healthy recipes and how much they enjoy vegetables and fruit.
Please continue to encourage your children to try cooking and eating healthy food and to think about reducing food waste.
Further information can be found on the websites below.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/the-eatwell-guide/
https://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/hydration/hydration-for-children.html
https://www.nhs.uk/change4life/about-change4life
Click here to view our new Whole School Food Policy - Food Policy
If you have any interest or expertise in gardening or food we welcome your comments and involvement.
