February 2007
This policy has been formulated to enable Glenann Primary School to develop and maintain a shared philosophy on all aspects of food and drink. Its key aim is to develop healthy eating and drinking activities within the school and benefit pupils, staff, parents caterers and others associated with the school.
This policy has been formulated following consultation with pupils, parents and staff and its development must continue to be by consultation. The policy and future amendments to the policy must be communicated clearly and consistently to pupils, parents and staff. It will continue to be developed as the school works towards its aim of establishing healthy eating habits at break time.
Glenann Primary School recognises the important connection between a healthy, balanced diet and a child's ability to learn effectively and achieve high standards in school.
The school aims to ensure that pupils are well nourished at school, and that every pupil has access to safe, tasty and nutritious food and a safe, easily available water supply during the school day.
The school recognises that it has a responsibility to ensure that all members of the school community are able to make informed choices about the importance of food and its production.
The school also recognises the role that it can play as part of the larger community to promote family health.
Through effective leadership, the school ethos and the curriculum, all school staff can bring together all elements of the school day to create an environment which supports a healthy lifestyle.
The school is committed to providing a welcoming eating environment that encourages the positive, social and cultural interaction of pupils and teachers.
The school is committed to introduce and promote practices within the school to reinforce these aims, and to discourage practices that negate them.
In accordance with the aims and objectives of this policy, the following settings will apply to the food policy and provision in the school.
All children are welcome to bring a healthier snack such as fruit, vegetables, yoghurt, cheese (Not cheese strings) or bread products such as pancakes, rolls or wheaten bread for the morning break time. Water, pure fruit juice or milk may be drunk. Commercially bought sweets, chocolate and chewing gum are not allowed in school. Friday will be treat day and children will be allowed to bring a small bar or packet of crisps for break on a Friday.
Plentiful drinking of water by school children has been recognised in improving behaviour and concentration. All pupils will be allowed to bring in a bottle of water from home and will be allowed a drink of water during class time.
The Food Standards Agency survey of packed lunchboxes showed that too many children��s lunchboxes contained too much sugar, salt and fat and little fruit and vegetables. The school is committed to encouraging parents to provide healthier lunchboxes for children at Glenann Primary School. A parent��s evening was held in November 2006 and an advisor from the Causeway Trust informed parents of suitable foods for the childrens�� break and lunch boxes. A representative from Sainsburys also visited the school in February 2007. She talked to all classes, informing the children about a wide range of fruit and vegetables that could be eaten at snack times and gave the children the opportunity to taste some of them. The school recognises that parents provide packed lunches for a variety of reasons, including dietary requirements or food intolerance. For this reason no food may be swapped or shared from packed lunches. Food not eaten in a packed lunch will be taken home by the child to ensure that parents know what their child has or has not eaten.
The school is committed to providing a welcoming dining environment that encourages the positive social and cultural interaction of pupils and teachers. It is recognised that the physical constraints of the size of the school mean that there is limited space for serving and eating hot school dinners. An area of the P6/7 classroom is used for this purpose and there are two sittings. P1-3 pupils who take a packed lunch eat in their classroom. P4-7 pupils who take packed lunch eat it in the P6-7 classroom. Despite this constraint, the school aims to provide a calm, ordered environment conducive to mutual respect and good behaviour. It is also committed to the following;
Active help for young children who find the physical process of school dinners or packed lunch difficult e.g opening packets or tubs, carrying trays etc.
Encouraging all children to eat the food they have been provided with.
Equal treatment of children having school dinners and packed lunches in terms of provision and supervision.
Provision of water jugs containing clean water, and cups on every table.
Encouraging children to wash their hands before eating.
Reducing excess waste by recycling.
The school recognises that pupil achievement should be celebrated and rewarded and when appropriate that food can play a role in such a celebration. We also recognise that food plays an important role in the celebration of cultural, personal or community milestones such as birthdays or the end of term. At times such as these treats will be given as a reward but should be very limited and at an individual teacher��s discretion.
The partnership of home and school is critical in shaping how children and young people behave, particularly where health is concerned. Each must reinforce each other.
Parents, carers and pupils must be regularly updated on food policy settings through the school letters and consulted on a regular basis.
Governors monitor and check that the school policy is upheld and are responsible for developing this policy in consultation with the school community.
This policy will be disseminated in the following ways;
The school prospectus
The school website
Staff/Board of Governors meetings
Letters to parents