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Whole School Food Policy
This document is freely available to the entire School Community.
Aims
To ensure that we are giving consistent messages about food and health and to promote a school environment which encourages a healthy lifestyle
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To give our pupils the information they need to make healthy choices, and to promote health awareness
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To contribute to the healthy physical development of all members of our School Community
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To ensure that all aspects of food and nutrition in school promote and improve the health and well being of the pupils, staff and their families by helping to influence their eating habits through increasing their knowledge and awareness of food issues, including what constitutes a healthy and environmentally sustainable diet, and hygienic food preparation and storage methods
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To ensure pupils are well-nourished at school, and that every pupil has access to safe, tasty and nutritious food, by using fresh vegetables, fruit and meats
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To provide a safe, easily available water supply during the school day, and to provide un-carbonated, low sugar drinks
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To ensure that the food and drink available at school throughout the day reinforces the healthy lifestyle message
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To make the provision and consumption of food an enjoyable and safe experience
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To reinforce these aims within the School, by introducing and promoting good practice
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To remove or discourage practices that negate our aims and to actively source healthier products
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To promote healthier choices for our students
Objectives
We are trying to address some of the current national problems with children’s diet, actively seeking ways of enabling students to make informed choices about what they choose to eat. Food eaten at school can make a major contribution to the overall diet of young people, the school meal might be the main meal of the day for many young people. Where possible, we will try to link with the school curriculum to assist in the promotion of healthy living and the use of fresh foods, and to integrate these aims into all aspects of school life, in particular:
To work towards ensuring that this policy is both accepted and embraced by:
Food Provision within the School
Breakfast Service
A breakfast service operates on a daily basis in the School for all pupils and staff. We act as a ‘safety net’ for pupils and staff who have no time for breakfast in the morning at home.
The food offered is consistent with a healthy diet. We provide toast, bread (range of options including white, brown, ‘Best of Both’ and rolls), low fat spread, fruit jam, marmite, yoghurt, low salt/low sugar fortified cereals, healthy choice sausages and lean back bacon. We have fresh fruit, baked beans and cheese. Pupils choose from water, orange juice and apple juice to drink. Our canteen provides a friendly atmosphere, where pupils can come to socialize with their peers, or finish homework, and encourages the whole school community to eat breakfast. Our catering staff provide friendly cheerful attitudes towards both pupils and staff. All our catering team hold a basic food hygiene certificate.
School lunches and packed lunches
All our school meals are provided by our in-house caterers and, where possible, fresh fruit and vegetables are provided each day as a choice for pupils and staff. Our caterers provide a hot and cold option, both of which pay regard to nutritional balance and healthy options. The School offers on a daily basis:
a self-service salad bar
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a variety of baguettes, rolls, bagels and sandwiches
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a choice of hot, filled paninis
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fresh fruit salad and fresh fruit
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choices of home-made main meals with fresh vegetables, priced at £1.40
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Fresh milk available throughout lunchtime
Water for all
Chilled water is freely available throughout the school day to all members of the School Community. Every pupil and member of staff has been provided with a free bottle in which to store their water. Pupils may drink their water at any time, except during assembly.
The Curriculum
Food Technology
Food Technology is delivered as part of the Design and Technology curriculum. Pupils in Years 8 and 9 have a double lesson (two x 50 minutes) each fortnight. Group sizes are approximately 22 pupils.
Year 7
The course focuses on plant foods with a design and make task based on single portion production. Pupils are asked to analyse their own diets, particularly their intake of fruits and vegetables. Making skills are introduced e.g. the use of small equipment, the cooker and basic recipes.
Year 8
The course focuses on animal food products with a design and make task based on batch production. Pupils are given the opportunity to modify existing recipes, develop making skills such as bread making, sauce-making, cake-making and to compare homemade and standard components. Nutritional labelling is analysed and pupils make their own nutrition label using a computer program.
Year 9
The course focuses on the consumer with a clear emphasis on the citizen and food. Pupils explore various issues such as nutrition, cost, seasonal foods, moral and ethical aspects. Their design and make task involves primary research of Year 12 and Year 13 students. Year 9 pupils then design and make a meal for these students as their target group.
Year 10/11
Pupils follow a short Edexcel course 3970, three lessons are allocated per fortnight. The coursework brief explores healthy options.
AS/A2:
Year 12/13
Pupils follow the Edexcel course for AS and A2 level Ref: 8097/9097. This is a popular option and ten lessons of 50 minutes are allocated to deliver the course by two members of staff.
Visits are arranged to local food outlets, trade fairs, Head Office of J. Sainsbury and to a recording of the T. V. programme ‘Ready, Steady, Cook.’ A residential course to Queen’s University Food Technology department by Year 12 Food Technology students is planned for July 2006.
During Arts Week, Year 8 pupils explore the food cultures of a designated country through research and the production of food items. They are all available for tasting at lunchtime for pupils throughout the School.
Primary school links have been developed since Summer 2005 as part of the DATA/BNF primary initiative. Training days have been arranged for leaders from feeder primary schools. Primary school pupils have used the department facilities for food preparation.
Science
Year 7
Environment and feeding is covered, along with food chains and food webs.
Year 8
Food and digestion, which includes food types, is covered in nutritional information, along with the benefits of a healthy diet, the energy content of food* and food tests*.
Other areas covered are:
Respiration, using digested food
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Microbes – antiseptics and disinfectant, protection against diseases
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Ecological Relationships – feeding relationships, pyramid of numbers
Year 9
Unit 9B covers Fitness and Health, including:
Unit 9D covers plants for foods including:
Year 10
Module 1 covers the Human Body, including
Food and Enzymes
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Digestion
Module 2 covers genetically-modified crops, selective breeding and selection by farmers
Year 11
Module 7 covers Food Production and the Environment, including:
Module 8 covers:
* Indicates lessons involving handling food
Physical Education
Years 7 – 9
In Years 7 – 9 topics such as how a good diet leads to a healthy life style and how it can improve performance are taught. The perils of dehydration are stressed to the pupils, especially during sport activities, and they are encouraged to drink water during their PE lessons.
Years 10/11
There is a compulsory 50 minute fitness lesson each fortnight, during which time the importance of a healthy diet is stressed.
GCSE PE
Nutritional requirements of a balanced diet are taught, as well as the importance and use of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water and fibre. The definition and causes of obesity are covered, along with how under/over eating affects body weight and the importance of these factors.
GCSE Dance
What constitutes a healthy diet for a dancer is covered, including intake of food and fluids to sustain energy and avoid dehydration, such as:
Fats, carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins
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Fruits and vegetables
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Eating less sugar and salt
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Drinking plenty of water.
History
The history of food is taught in all stages of the history curriculum.
When covering the French Revolution with Year 8, the “The Greed of Louis XVI’ is discussed (what he ate for breakfast etc) also the diet of a nineteenth century British mill worker is taught. In Year 9, the diet of a slave on a plantation in the US is discussed when covering Black America. We compare the diets of a poor and rich family in Edwardian England along with the daily rations of a World War 1 soldier. The Boer War is taught and the reasoning behind the Labour reforms in the early 20th Century, including the introduction of free school meals, as a result of our soldiers being under nourished when they volunteered to fight in the Boer War.
The promotion of a moderate diet in ancient Greece, and the impact of a bad diet on health in the early middle ages is taught in Year 10 and the links between poverty, bad diet and poor health in the nineteenth century. When teaching about Nazi Germany in Year 11, we learn that the Nazis encouraged women to cook a soup of leftovers on a Sunday.
PHSE
Year 7
Year 7 pupils learn what constitutes a healthy diet. They discuss in groups the different foods that the body needs to keep it healthy. They also discuss diets, and losing weight and the pressure to conform to a certain body shape, especially for girls. By way of a Powerpoint presentation, pupils learn about the effects of:
A healthy diet
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Exercise
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Smoking
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Alcohol
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Other Drugs
Pupils are shown a chart explaining what constitutes a healthy diet, and learn about the food pyramid. They are taught about deficiency diseases, i.e. which lack of nutrient causes what disease. We work with the British Heart Foundation pack, and hand out the Food 4 Thought ‘goody bag’ supplied by them.
Years 8 and 9
In Years 8 and 9, all eating disorders are discussed, once again covering self image and peer and media pressure. Health and fitness are covered, by way of a healthy diet and exercise regimes.
Years 10 and 11
Lessons are delivered on what constitutes a balanced diet and eating disorders. In Year 11, a unit of work is taught on health and recreation. This unit spans a whole term and focuses on taking adequate breaks, exercising and stress management.
Years 12 and 13
We cover eating disorders in order to gain a greater knowledge and understanding of them and provide information and available support. Also covered is healthy eating, where students learn about and plan healthy meals.
How we are going to meet our Objectives
Food Provision within the School
Continue to promote both the breakfast service and the lunchtime service, by using ICT and Art clubs to help with posters, and linking classroom knowledge to the lunchtime experience
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Meeting with School Council at regular intervals, possibly once a term
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Continue with theme days, encouraging pupils to research information about different countries and cultures
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Meet with the Catering Manager to discuss menus and training, and to increase the speed of service
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Improve and extend the preparation and storage space provided in the kitchen through a capital refurbishment project allocation
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Improve the uptake of Free School Meals
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Concentrate on value-for-money and on serving healthy, nutritious meals, and promote the service to encourage a greater uptake of the ‘main meal’ option
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Supply copies of the recipes so that if a pupil likes a dish she can take the menu home and get her parents or carers to try it
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Find out pupil preferences by conducting a food survey
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Invite parents to taster evenings to try the food their children are being offered in school
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Conduct a taster day for pupils and staff, where the food is free
Have a reward scheme for choosing healthy options
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Publish guidelines on healthy packed lunches
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Hold a ‘Ready, Steady, Cook’ competition within school, or linking up with another local school
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Use the School’s website to hold ‘fun quizzes’ on-line
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Publish school menus on the School’s website
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Make our messages positive, by letting our pupils and staff know that we serve good healthy food that they will enjoy
The Curriculum
Continue to teach and allow discussion of all areas relating to healthy eating
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Encourage our pupils, staff and their families to choose healthy options throughout their life and encourage a healthy lifestyle
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Encourage more interaction between departments
PHSE
Continue to teach healthy eating as part of the programme for all years
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Include the play ‘Olivia Twist’, an interactive production about healthy eating for Year 7.
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Get other years involved with the Citizenship programme alongside Years 10/11.
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Organise a whole school enterprise education day using ‘Healthy Eating’ as a theme, e.g. market and sell a project which would include products, labelling, advertising etc.
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