Forest school updates food policy
Parents/carers of children at Forest Primary now have updated and simplified guidance around food at breaktime and lunch boxes.
The school collaborated with the Health Improvement Commission’s Eat Well team who carried out staff, pupil and parent engagement to gather everyone’s views around food at school and thoughts on existing guidance material.
Finding out everybody’s views is really important. Through these engagement sessions we learned that the existing guidance was comprehensive but needed to be simplified a little and made more accessible for parents/carers. Pupils want to promote eating well in the school and parents/carers want to receive support and ideas for healthy foods they can provide.
The results of a parent/carer survey showed that over 95% of parents agreed that healthy food can help their child learn, engage and concentrate. In addition, 88% thought that school rules around food and drink can help support children to eat healthier.
Those who completed the survey were offered the chance to win a prize draw. Three winners received a £10 Aladdin’s Cave voucher, funded by the Health Improvement Commission.
This work forms part of our wider support package for primary schools to help them build a ‘whole school approach’ to food and nutrition. We recognise that each school has different goals, and our aim is to support them to bring in changes that work for them and which support children’s health. For Forest Primary, they have already made great strides in their food and nutrition journey. Reviewing guidance periodically and engaging everyone at the school ensures information is up to date and in a format parents/carer can best access.
For more information or support contact Cat Tyrrell