Kent Healthy Schools: Healthy Eating: schools criteria & evidence
To achieve Healthy School status schools need to identify evidence of how they are meeting the national criteria. They need to do this within the context of a whole school approach, involving the whole school community, parents, pupils, governors and external partners.
Healthy Eating using the whole school approach
The Whole School Wheel (image below) identifies the essential elements for implementing an effective whole school way of working. Each theme is applicable across the four core themes and should influence the way schools work in relation to each. Schools evidence a whole school approach through the work they are developing to meet the criteria across the themes. This is how the whole school wheel applies to Healthy Eating.
To see a larger version of the wheel, download the Healthy Eating section of the Kent Audit Tool
This chart shows the nine healthy schools criteria for healthy eating with examples of evidence as bullet points. Links to our resources section to support each of the criteria are included where available.
| A Healthy School: | |
| 2.1 has identified a member of the SMT to oversee all aspects of food in the school.
Resources to support this criteria Developing a whole school policy template | 2.2 ensures provision of training in practical food education for staff, including diet, nutrition, food safety and hygiene.
Resources to support this criteria The Kent Healthy Schools programme is offering Healthy Eating training for schools working towards Healthy Schools status. Half day training is available to clusters to enable schools to put in place a plan of action providing evidence to show achievement of the Healthy Eating theme of the new National Healthy School status. At the end of the training delegates will understand:
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2.3 has a whole school food policy - developed through wide consultation, implemented, monitored and evaluated for impact. (Ofsted self evaluation 2a, 2b, 4a)
Resources to support this criteria All aspects of food in schools can be brought together clearly, coherently and consistently through the development of a Whole School Food Policy. Guidance on planning the process of policy development, which is just as important as the final document, can be accessed from the following links: Establishing a Whole School Food Policy Support material developed by the Kent Healthy Schools Programme. Draft Whole School Food Policy A template and guidance notes to develop a policy produced by the Kent Healthy Schools Programme. Food in schools website - whole school policy section Guidance on planning the process of policy development or see the Whole School Food Policy section of your Food in Schools Toolkit. How to set up a School Nutrition Action Group (SNAG) Setting up a SNAG can be a useful in developing a whole school food policy. This Kent guide is adapted from 'The Chips are Down': a guide to food policy in schools by The Health Education Trust Reliable and practical advice about healthy eating, understanding food labels and how what we eat can affect our health is available from: The Food in Schools website The British Nutrition Foundation The Food Standards Agency Ofsted: Healthy Eating in Schools Ofsted report (March 2006) assessing how schools have responded to guidance on school meals and healthier eating in response to increasing public concern about the quality of children's diets and increasing rates of childhood obesity. Also see the links section on whole school food policy links | 2.4 involves pupils and parents in guiding food policy and practice within the school, enables them to contribute to healthy eating and acts on their feedback.
Resources to support this criteria The Food in Schools website has an interactive audit and other questionnaires available to help with developing a whole school approach to healthy eating. Charlton case study |
| 2.5. has a welcoming eating environment that encourages the positive social interaction of pupils (see food in schools guidance).
Resources to support this criteria www.foodinschools.orgThe dining room environment section of the Food in Schools Toolkit offers ideas on how to make the dining room a more welcoming place to be. Local case studies | 2.6. ensures healthier food and drink options are available and promoted in breakfast clubs, at break (if established or planned), and at lunchtimes - as outlined by Food in Schools Guidance.
Resources to support this criteria In March 2006 Ofsted published Healthy Eating in Schools download from www.ofsted.gov.uk which presents a response to public concern about the quality of children’s diet and increasing rates of child obesity. The report assesses how schools have responded to guidance on school meals and healthier eating. The School Food Trust provides standards for school meals which were introduced in September 2006 and will shortly be providing guidance for non-lunch foods which will be introduced in September 2007. The Food in Schools website and toolkit provide guidance on promoting healthier food choices for:
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| 2.7. has meals, vending machines and tuck shop facilities that are nutritious and healthy (see Food in Schools guidance), and meet or exceed national standards, and is working towards the latest DCSF guidance on improving school meals services.
Resources to support this criteria The School Food Trust provides standards for school meals which were introduced in September 2006 and will shortly be providing guidance for non-lunch foods which will be introduced in September 2007. All schools should be aware of the guidelines detailed in the Transforming School Meals report. All school meal providers will need to adhere to these standards. Any school in the Local Authority catering contract will have meals that meet these standards as a minimum. See Client Services for the Kent County Council school meals specification. Example menus from the new KCC school meals specification that schools will be required to work towards from September 2006 can be seen on the Kent School Meals website. If you are concerned your KCC school meals contractor is not meeting the standards contact Mark Sleep or Tel: 01622 696050 The Soil Association has an action pack for schools planning healthier school meals. Tuckshops See the Food in Schools website for guidance on seeting up a healthy tuckshop and the East Kent Healthy Schools checklist (Fruit tuckshop Plan) for setting up a fruit tuck shop and leaflet on other healthy foods for tuckshops. Chatham House healthy eating case study | 2.8. monitors pupils' menus and food choices to inform policy development and provision.
Resources to support this criteria See the Food in Schools tools for surveying pupils food choices. Information about Cashless Systems for School Meals that can be used for monitoring pupils food choices is available from Kent County Council Client Services Chatham House healthy eating case study |
| 2.9. ensures that pupils have opportunities to learn about different types of food in the context of a balanced diet (using the Balance of Good Health), and how to plan, budget, prepare and cook meals. Understanding the need to avoid consumption of foods high in salt, sugar, and fat and increase the consumption of fruit & vegetables.
Resources to support this criteria Useful websites that can help with teaching Key Stages One and Two: UK National Curriculum, Primary Design and Technology: Food Technology Sainsburys Active Kids Get Cooking Eat Smart, Play Smart a Food Standards Agency teaching resource for Primary school teachers throughout the UK to use with children aged 5-7. The Food and Drink Federation provide join the activators an educational programme with a free interactive CD for primary school children The Food Standards Agency’s Cooking Bus which delivers practical cooking sessions in a mobile kitchen. The Bash Street cartoons healthy eating programme focuses on promoting fruit and vegetables using a whole school approach The Food Standards Agency Publications have a CD-rom available for 11-12 year olds called Dish it Up. Interactive resources dealing with food hygiene issues are available from the Food Standards Agency Grab 5 is a healthy eating curriculum pack for KS2. The Food a Fact of Life website set up by The British Nutrition Foundation provides advice, support and downloadable resources for teachers about healthier eating at KS1 and 2. The site contains interactive learning activities for children as well as ctivity and information sheets. The Comic Company provide a photocopiable workbook on healthy eating (and other subjects) as well as stickers, bookmarks, badges and wrist bands. Useful websites that can help with teaching Key Stages Three and Four: UK National Curriculum, Primary Design and Technology: Food Technology Sainsburys Active Kids Get Cooking The Food Standards Agency’s Cooking Bus delivers practical cooking sessions in a mobile kitchen. The British Nutrition Foundation offers a wide variety of material. The Food Standards Agency list core competencies for food and nutrition which can be used for self-assessment with young people aged 14-16. Local schools can adopt a local chef to work with them for free through the Caroline Walker Trust Other useful websites are www.foodtech.org.uk www.foodforum.org.uk | 2.10. has easy access to free, clean and palatable drinking water, using the Food in School Guidance.
Resources to support this criteria See www.eric.org.uk for information on improvement of access to water for schools. |
| 2.11. consults pupils about food choices throughout the school day using school councils, Healthy School task group or other representative pupil bodies.
Resources to support this criteria The Food in Schools website has an interactive audit and other questionnaires available to help with developing a whole school approach to healthy eating. | In the near future, you will be able to complete the self-audit form online from this page. |
| Kent Healthy Schools: Healthy Eating | |