Whole School Food Policy

 "Achieving our best together"

Introduction At Whitchurch Primary School we believe that knowledge and understanding of nutrition is essential for good health and effective teaching and learning. We recognise the important connection between a healthy diet and a child's ability to learn effectively and achieve high standards in school. Aims and Objectives To improve the health of staff, pupils and their families by helping to influence their eating habits through increasing their knowledge and awareness of food issues, including what constitutes a healthy, balanced diet. To develop healthy eating and drinking habits that will last beyond pupils’ time at our school. To give pupils the information they need to make healthy choices. To ensure that we are giving consistent messages about food and health. To ensure that food provision in the school reflects the ethical and medical requirements of all children and staff e.g. religious, ethnic, vegetarian, medical and allergenic needs. To encourage fluid intake, with an easily accessible water supply provided throughout the day. To make the provision and consumption of food an enjoyable and pleasant experience that enhances the social development of all children. To contribute to the healthy physical development of all members of our school community. The School Nutrition Action Group (S.N.A.G.) The School Nutrition Action Group was established in May 2007 to take on the roles of: auditing all aspects of food and drink provision in our school; compiling an action plan to tackle key areas for development; keeping under review, the steps taken. All areas of the school community are represented on the School Nutrition Action Group, which meets once each term. Break Time Snacks All pupils in Key Stage One take part in the National Fruit and Vegetable Scheme and receive a free piece of fruit or vegetable at morning break. To help establish healthy choices from an early age, fruit and vegetables are the only snacks permitted for all key stages. School Lunches All our school meals are cooked offsite by Bath and North East Somerset catering services. The menu for the week is displayed in each classroom and in the dining hall and a copy is also sent home to parents.  Teachers discuss the daily choices with the children beforehand so that they can consider which days they might wish to stay to lunch and their meal options before arriving in the kitchen. Bath and North East Somerset Catering Services has made a commitment to improving the quality and nutritional standard of meals it serves and information about this available on the Council’s website. Alternatively children may bring a packed lunch to school. The School Nutrition Action Group has produced an information leaflet for parents, which gives advice on what constitutes a healthy lunchbox as well as suggestions for more unusual healthy options that could be included. The Dining Environment Most children eat their midday meal in the school hall. The children are allowed to choose where they sit, which encourages a social setting where they can eat with their friends. The exceptions to this are; Year 6 who have their own ‘common room’ where they can eat lunch and take their time to sit and talk or play games if they wish to and Foundation Stage who eat lunch in their classroom. In both cases the rooms are organised for lunch with tables being moved as needed and tablecloths being used. Weather permitting one year group usually eats outside either at the picnic benches, in the quiet area, in the gazebo or using a combination of these locations. In the dinning hall one table has been designate ‘The Top Table.’ This table has a tablecloth, flowers and a ‘nicer’ range of plates etc. Each week three children are chosen to sit at the table and they in turn can invite a friend to join them. On Friday they make a smoothie and invite a member of staff to eat lunch with them. Staff are encouraged to eat a school lunches in the dinning hall. We ask the children to respect the dining experience of others by keeping an appropriately low noise level. We also want the dining environment to be an attractive and inviting place to eat, where children are encouraged to interact with each other and enjoy their food. Display and posters in the hall promote healthy eating. Drinks We recognise that low fluid intake can lead to reduced academic performance through poor concentration and lethargy, reduced physical performance and health problems. We encourage all children to drink water at regular intervals throughout the school day. Water is freely available to all members of the school community. Every child is encouraged to bring a bottle of water to school to keep in the classroom. Only water may be drunk during the school day, except at lunchtime when children who bring a packed lunch from home may drink juice, squash or milk drinks. In the Foundation all pupils sit down for a drink when at mid-morning break. Up until the term following their fifth birthday, children in the Foundation Stage are provided with a free carton of milk to drink at this point and other pupils drink from their water bottles. Food across the Curriculum There are a number of opportunities for children to develop their knowledge and understanding of food and healthy eating within the curriculum. It is covered in the formal curriculum through PSHE and Citizenship, Food Technology (within Design Technology), Religious Education and Science. PSHE and Citizenship encourages the children to take responsibility for their own health and teaches them how to develop a healthy lifestyle.  Religious and cultural influences on food and eating habits are also explored, as they are in aspects of the Religious Education curriculum. Food Technology provides the opportunity to learn about where food comes from and apply healthy eating messages through practical work with food, including food preparation and cooking. We plan opportunities for the children to work in the Environmental Area and grow fruits and vegetables. 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. Aspects of food and healthy eating are also covered in other curriculum areas and through themed weeks and the celebration of various festivals. Celebrations Children are taught to view sweets and chocolate as foods to be eaten in moderation on special occasions. Although pupils are not allowed to bring sweets and chocolate to school (including on their birthday or when returning from holidays) these foods may occasionally be given as prizes by teachers at the end of term and at Awards Assemblies. Monitoring and review This policy will be reviewed annually to take account of new developments.