Establishing a Whole School Food policy Jennifer McBratney

5 W’s and H!

Why? Nutrition is central to health. What children eat can influence their health now and in the future Its a public statement which shows how your school cares for and makes a positive contribution to the health and well being of pupils, staff and others Schools must adopt a whole school approach to food and nutrition

When? The food in school policy requires all grant-aided schools to have a whole school policy in place by September 2014

What? Shared, evolving document for all stakeholders Expresses a common vision of ethos,status and role of nutrition in your school Develops a coherent approach to healthy eating

Who? Depends on your school Will need a core working group this can be either through an established school council or a school nutrition action group (SNAGS). Needs leadership from senior management – Teachers – Board of Governors. – Pupils – Parents (PTA?) – School catering – School nurse

How? Where to start? Need to assess the extent of nutrition issues in your school Areas to look at: – Food and drink provision. (breakfast, break, lunch, vending and after school) – Lunchtime management – Dining experience – Curriculum – Extra curricular activities – Advertising and sponsorship – Pastoral care

Who to talk to? Pupils Parents Teachers Caterers Others

Collate your findings, review and share Decide on the needs and priorities of your school Start to formulate aims and objectives Establish targets and criteria for success

Draft a policy that reflects the needs of the school identified through the audit. Keep it tight, set realistic goals and decide who is responsible for implementing and monitoring each aspect.

Things to consider Is the formal curriculum and approach consistent and up to date? Do the food and drinks provided meet the standards? Is there a need for other services – Breakfast club, water provision, healthy breaks Could you introduce the school to regional or national schemes e.g. Healthy break scheme in primary schools, breakfast week, school cook of the year Can you pledge committed staff training and resource provision

Consult Modify Share Implement Review

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