Whole School Healthy Eating and Drinking Policy
The Bollin Primary School aims to present healthy eating and drinking messages through:
- The taught curriculum
- The provision and promotion of healthy food during the school day and school trips
- The school environment
A healthy diet is one of the best ways of maintaining young people’s health, both now and in the future.
Recent research has shown that the diets of young people are not meeting healthy eating recommendations
for optimum growth and development.
Immediate benefits for healthy eating include:
- improved concentration
- preventing anaemia, asthma, dental decay, diabetes and obesity
Longer term health benefits include:
- revention of coronary heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and osteoporosis
Drinks
Good quality drinking water will be available throughout the day from drinking fountains and children will be encouraged to use water bottles. Milk will be available free of charge for Nursery and Reception children up to the age of 5, and at a subsidised cost for all other children.
Snacks for playtimes
Free fruit is available for children in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. A fruit tuck shop provides a choice of fruit for all other children to purchase.
Birthdays and Rewards
Parents and Carers are discouraged from bringing cakes or sweets into school on their child’s birthday. Instead the birthday child is made to feel special in other ways such as classes singing ‘Happy Birthday’ at lunchtime. Parents and Carers are encouraged to present a ‘birthday book’ to the class – an appropriate contribution to the class or school library that can be shared. Foods such as sweets are not given as rewards.
School Meals
This school works closely with the catering service to ensure that healthy choices are available throughout the mealtime and that the national nutritional standards are met. Fruit and vegetables are included as part of the main course and desert. Menus are carefully planned and steps are taken to reduce levels of fat, salt and sugar in food provided. Healthy choices are promoted.
The food provided will reflect the ethnic background of pupils and the dietary rules of religious groups and vegetarians will be met in appropriate ways.
Packed Lunches
The Bollin encourages parents and carers to provide a healthy packed lunch and a safe hygienic storage place for lunch boxes is made available at school.
Involving Parents and Carers
The Bollin actively encourages the participation of pupils and parents to determine food provision in school, for example by:
- questionnaires and surveys
- providing nutrition information to parents such as menus and details of healthy eating initiatives
- inviting parents and carers to lunch
In the Classroom
Healthy Eating will be promoted through individual subjects and in cross-curricular ways and through PSHE.