The Dearne High: A Specialist humanities college

The Dearne High School Food policy

Introduction

The school is dedicated to providing an environment where healthy eating is promoted. We will encourage students to make healthy, informed choices about the food and drink they consume.

This policy will be implemented with a whole school approach and will be formulated through discussion with members of staff, parents, school governors and a student ‘healthy food task group’.

All parents are to be informed of the draft food policy and invited to comment and discuss its content.

The school food and healthy eating strategy is to be implemented by Lesley McLean, Business Manager.

Aims of Food Policy

The main aims of our school policy are:

1. To ensure that healthier food & drink is provided at all times of the day.
2. To provide information and education to all students to enable them to make healthier food choices.
3. To enable all students to have equal choices, regardless of their cultural, ethical or medical needs
   

These aims will be addressed through the following areas:

1.       Equal opportunities

In food and nutritional education we recognise the value of the individual and strive to provide equal access to information and equal opportunities for all people.

2.       Curriculum

Food and nutrition is taught through Food Technology classes both at key stage 3 and 4. However, healthy eating is supported in a number of different faculty areas, using various teaching methods and resources. Examples of these are:-

2.1   Technology

Practical based activities – Fruit salad

• Fruit smoothies

Technology – A week is spent looking at healthy eating:-
                     Nutrition – Balanced to plate
                                       Healthy menus
                     Practical – Healthy option recipes produced

GCSE coursework design brief
Healthy option cakes

2.2     Religious Studies

Students have to plan a Jewish menu

2.3     Geography

Year 7

People Everywhere Unit:- Food potential in Mali
Pupils have to compare the lifestyle of 2 families, one in the UK and one in Mali.
They have to understand life expectancy from a healthy diet.
They have to write a letter to explain why families in Mali have so many children, i.e. they need to help with food and cooking.

2.4     Science

Topic on food and digestion thoroughly covers all aspects of balanced diets, diet-related disorders and healthy eating.
Various kinaesthetic and practical tasks used including testing food groups, building model plates showing balanced diets, designing menus, demo of digestion system and experiments.
Students have levelled SATs Q’s and skills Q’s for homework and carry out a level-assessed task at the end of the unit. They are also assessed on practical skills and scientific enquiry. The Scheme Of Work is also evaluated at the end of the each school year.

During revision the above is reviewed and Yr 9’s also carry out work on a topic ‘fit and healthy’ which incorporates healthy eating along with the dangers of smoking, alcohol and drugs.

The students have the following work to address with regards to Healthy Eating:-

·        bar charts and pie charts showing energy values/fat content/salt/sugar/
          levels, etc of foods
·        money – who can buy the healthiest shopping with £10.00, etc.
·        percentages - % fat content, etc.
·        questionnaires/surveys – to find out about people’s eating habits

2.5     ICT

Year 7

National Strategy Unit 7.3 Making a Leaflet is taught
This is focused on research of healthy eating and producing a leaflet to make the audience aware of healthy eating.

National Strategy Unit 7.2/8.3 Sources and Information
This research focus is on Healthy Eating – finding reliable data

Year 9 Module is based on key skills portfolio – topic is Healthy Eating

DiDa Unit D201 - Using ICT and key skills (Every Child Matters) is taught.

DiDa Unit D202 – Multimedia – Energise your life and Key Skills (Every Child Matters is taught).

All staff play a key role in influencing student’s knowledge, skills and attitude to food choices.  We therefore encourage both teaching and non-teaching staff to participate in the school meal provision and to eat alongside students, thereby giving out a positive food choice message.

All Catering staff are trained to appropriate levels and receive refresher training on a regular basis.  All staff are to be given the opportunity to receive some healthy eating training which will enable them to assist the students to make appropriate food choices.

Information about the new government guidelines has been provided to all students via a letter home.  Parents and the local community were given information through the school newsletter.  Specific information about the changes to the menus in school has been provided through the plasma screens, local newspapers and invitations to parents to try taster sessions at open evenings.

• Breakfast Club

We believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and can contribute significantly to a child’s vitamin and mineral uptake.  Breakfast improves blood sugar levels and helps to prevent dehydration, which will increase the ability to concentrate, thereby assisting in the student’s education.

Our breakfast club aims to provide a nutritious meal for students who arrive early at school without eating breakfast and also provides a warm, dry, safe place to wait until the school day begins. We offer wholegrain cereal with semi-skimmed milk, white or wholemeal toast with low fat spread, fresh fruit, yoghurt, fruit juices, water and tea and coffee.

• Morning Break

Our morning break service offers students the opportunity to have a snack at around the time that their blood sugar level is beginning to drop.  A snack at this time will improve their concentration for the next lesson periods. We offer white or wholemeal toast with low fat spread, high fibre pizza bases with low fat cheese, low fat low salt sausages with a high meat content, fresh fruit, yoghurt, fruit juices,  water and semi skimmed milk. All the baking produced on site has had the sugar and fat content reduced.

• Lunch Service

The government introduced nutritional standards for the provision of school meals in September 2006. These standards apply to all lunchtime food served to students in the school and include the following;

1. No more than two deep fried products per week (this includes products which have been deep fried in the manufacturing process)
2. Oily fish to be offered on the menu at least once every three weeks
3. Not less than two portions of fruit and vegetables per child per day.
4. Milk and dairy produce offered every day.

This has involved changes being made to the food offer at The Dearne High School. We have removed all salt from the tables and cook without salt in our recipes.  We now include more fresh vegetables and puddings with a high fruit content three times per week.  Fresh fruit salad is available daily and a self-help salad bar is in operation. All manufactured meat products with a meat content of less than 65% have been replaced with their healthier counterparts, burgers now feature less on the menu and have been replaced with hot wraps and filled baguettes.  The pizza bases in use are high fibre, low salt ones that have been topped with a mixture of mozzarella and low fat cheese.  We only offer fresh fruit juice, semi skimmed milk and water for drinks.  Free water is available to all students at breakfast, break and lunchtimes.  For some of our students, the school lunch may be their only substantial meal in the day and we therefore encourage these students to have a healthy balanced meal.

The school does not encourage the use of food as a reward for good behaviour for academic and other achievements.  Instead other methods of positive reinforcement are used.  However, we are considering a points scheme whereby points are given for healthy food choices.  Incentives of free food and/or drinks could then be given for different levels of points raised.  

Nutritional standards for school recommend that free drinking water is available to students every day. The school agrees with this recommendation and provides free drinking water at breakfast, break and lunchtimes and encourages students to bring water bottles from home.

The school encourages students to stay on site for lunch, but is not in a position to enforce this.  There are many different eating establishments within walking distance of the school, providing a range of food choices.  Parents are encouraged to support the school by discussing the principles of good health and healthy choices with their children and discouraging the purchase of fizzy drinks, crisps and salty snacks, biscuits, chocolate and sweets.

The school can provide food in accordance with student’s religious and cultural beliefs and any special medical conditions. A vegetarian option is provided on a daily basis at lunchtime, a vegan option could also be provided when necessary. Any food allergies and food intolerances can be catered for and an individual care plan developed with the parents or carers of the child.

Appropriate food safety precautions are taken when food is being prepared or stored.  We ensure that adequate storage and washing facilities are available, all food is stored in the correct manner, and all food handlers have received the appropriate training and are retrained on a regular basis.  Our food handlers are provided with protective clothing and footwear, all equipment is suitable for the job and is maintained in a good condition.  All necessary documentation and recording is completed and held on site for inspection.  We consult the local Environmental Health Department about legal requirements when necessary.

We constantly strive to improve both the food and the eating environment for our students.  Menus are continually being reviewed, taking into account students suggestions.  We are also about to introduce taster samples of new dishes, which will be taken around the dining room to encourage students to try new dishes.  Healthy Eating posters have been put up around the dining room and additional seating is being purchased.
We will seek any comments from our customers about both the food and the eating environment and act on them accordingly.

Action Plan

We intend to take the following action over the next few months:

1. to continue to develop our menus and recipes to provide healthy eating choices for students
2. to conduct a customer survey to allow students and staff to comment on the food and facilities in the school
3. to set up a healthy food  task group in the school
4. to provide information for parents about the importance of a balanced meal
5. to provide parents with sufficient information about the school food provision to enable then to encourage their child to eat in school
6. to investigate free breakfast provision for free school meals students
7. to provide regular taster sessions for students at lunchtimes
8. to provide occasional taster sessions for parents
9. to communicate our daily menus for breakfast, break and lunch throughout the school to encourage more students to use our facilities.