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Home > Food in Schools

Food in Schools

Scope of the Toolkit

This toolkit aims to give colleagues in Local Authority Trading Standards and Environmental Health teams advice and ideas about working with schools to promote healthier food choices to children. Rather than being prescriptive, the toolkit gives you ideas and signposts for further information from a wealth of different organisations involved in this subject. Whilst we aim to regularly update all of our information, please bear in mind that interest in this subject has grown rapidly over recent years, and there are a number of current consultations and proposed changes to the food in schools agenda. The toolkit is therefore likely to evolve to reflect these changes over time.

Background

Before reading the toolkit, or commencing with an initiative, it is helpful to understand some of the differences in the ways that food may be provided in schools, and historical reasons for this. The following information is taken from the ‘food in schools’ and ‘teachernet’ websites and the report of the School Meals Review Panel (please see resources and links section)

The first nutritional standards for school meals were set in 1941, and then the Education Act of 1944 made it a duty of all Local Education Authorities to provide school meals for those who wanted them. The Education Act 1980 removed the obligation on LEA’s to ‘provide a school meal in all respects as a main meal of the day’, removed the requirement to sell meals at a fixed price and abolished nutritional standards for school meals, with an aim to cut expenditure on school meals. Some LEA’s dismantled their catering services and today approximately 13% of schools have no kitchen facilities, and in these schools sandwiches may be provided to those entitled to school meals or meals may be transported from another school.

From April 2000, funding for school meals was delegated to all secondary schools. Primary and special schools can opt for delegation. Where a school has a delegated budget for meals, the governing body take on the responsibility for their provision. This will include, for example, deciding on the content and cost of meals, providing free school meals to eligible pupils, and complying with the new nutritional standards for school lunches that came into force on 1 April 2001.

When the LA's duties have been transferred to the governing body, it may make provision through arrangements it has negotiated itself, or by buying back into an LA catering service; but buying back into an LA catering service does not shift the legal duty of provision back to the LA. Governing bodies with meal responsibilities should ensure that meal providers are competent to deal with the various health and food safety issues which arise in meal provision.

For a period of three years, from September 2005, £220m of new grants will be given directly to schools and local education authorities to raise the quality of school meals. The grants are to be used to develop a coherent 'whole school' approach to food, covering not only school meals but also all other aspects of food provision in school as well as using the curriculum to reinforce healthy eating principles. The money will also fund training and/or longer working hours for school cooks.

The LEA grants will be targeted, first to help primary schools spend a minimum of 50p on ingredients and secondary schools to spend 60p.

Funding is available for new or upgraded kitchen facilities, through an existing programme to rebuild and refurbish schools.

The Department of Education and Skills has allocated £15m to the School Food Trust to provide independent support and advice about school meal improvements to schools and parents. In addition, the Big Lottery Fund, as part of a strategic programme to promote well being, has decided to allocate up to £45 million to support healthy eating projects and initiatives for children, parents and their wider communities. The Fund will work in partnership with the voluntary sector, including the School Food Trust, the Soil Association and Sustain, local authorities, schools and the Healthy Schools Programme to develop the programme.

Policy – Why should Environmental Health and Trading Standards teams be involved in improving food in schools?

Recent media publicity surrounding the nutritional quality of school meals has moved this topic up the political agenda, and new policies and consultations are being produced almost weekly. The central government policies listed below require that local authorities take positive steps to ensuring that our children have healthy choices and are living in a community where the local authority is striving to improve it’s economic, social and environmental well being.

a) Choosing Health White Paper/Choosing a Better Diet: a food and health action plan/Delivering Choosing Health: These set out the Government’s commitment to make nutrition and physical activity essential elements of the healthy schools programme (see below). They also included the government’s commitment to revise primary and secondary school meals standards and to strongly consider introducing nutrient based standards and, subject to legislation, to extend new standards to cover food served in school across the day in secondary schools. The Delivering Choosing Health Paper stated that responsibility for improving nutrient standards in school meals locally lies with LEA, PCT and the School. Nationally, Ofsted inspections are to include healthy eating in schools; schools are expected to measure their performance by completing a self evaluation form which is updated annually and submitted to Ofsted. The self evaluation form will be used by inspectors when inspecting schools.

b) White Paper on Excellence in Schools (1997): Set out the Government’s intention to help all schools become ‘healthy schools’, a key part of which is the National Healthy Schools standard. The healthy schools standard requires a ‘whole school approach to health’; with a target that half of all schools will achieve the standard by 2006, and the rest working towards it by 2009. One of the four core themes of a healthy school is healthy eating, and from 2005 a school must satisfy all four core themes in order to reach the standard.

c) Children’s Act 2004: Section 10 requires LA’s and their relevant partners to co-operate to improve children’s well being – this includes being healthy. At the same time as the Act was passed, a green paper was issued by the Government ‘Every Child Matters’. 5 outcomes to be achieved are specified; one of which is ‘be healthy’. This includes healthy lifestyles; one of the measures of healthy lifestyles is the percentage of children eating five or more portions of fruit and vegetables per day.

d) Local Government Act 2000: requires LA’s to safeguard the well being of their areas.

e) Health and Social Care Act 2001: gives English authorities with responsibility for social services, the power to make reports and recommendations on matters related to the local health service.

Whilst providing a policy setting for improving healthy eating amongst children, these central government policies and associated guidance rarely (if at all) recognise a role for Environmental Health or Trading Standards. However, statements issued by Trading Standards Institute (TSI) and Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) both show the contribution made by their members to the healthy eating agenda.

In their document ‘Making the Connection’ TSI recognise that food safety enforcement can contribute to public health targets on cancer, coronary heart disease and like expectancy. http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk

In ""Environmental Health - 2012 - A Key Partner in Delivering the Public Health Agenda", a joint publication by CIEH and Health Development Agency, a strategic vision for its contribution to health development and well being is outlined. The document states that ‘the environmental health contribution to public health and health improvement will span quality and availability of safe and nutritious food supplies and support for local food production. To facilitate healthy decisions, environmental health practices will support steps to improve availability and access to healthy food.
http://www.cieh.org/about/eh2012.htm

One of the key drivers of local authority food law enforcement service (EH or TS) is the Food Standards Agency, and the priorities and targets they specify for local authorities. The Food Standards Agency (FSA) strategic plan for 2005-2010 has a key aim to ‘make it easier for all consumers to choose a healthy diet and thereby improving quality of life by reducing diet related disease’. The plan goes on to state ‘As a public protection body we have to weigh up all risks and diet is clearly a public health issue. It is estimated that poor diet contributes to more than 100,000 deaths a year from heart disease, strokes and cancer…. It is not always easy to achieve a balanced diet because of what may be in processed or ready made foods, and some people may need help to get the balance that is right for them. Children are vulnerable and we have a duty to work with parents, carers and institutions to improve the dietary health of young people…. With a healthier diet our children will get the best possible start in life we can give them’.

Chapter 4 of the plan considers healthy eating, and particular emphasis is placed upon healthy eating amongst children. In the next 5 years the FSA are to;

• encourage others to strengthen the healthy eating part of the curriculum and improve what children eat at school
• contribute to the work of health departments of the nutrition of very young children

The strategic plan also considers monitoring of local authority food activity and states that ‘by 2006 we will change the way we report on LA enforcement activity to recognise their important educational and advisory roles’, supporting the emphasis given in the strategic plan to healthy eating. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/stratplan0510.pdf

Whilst the focus of recent initiatives on food in schools has been towards nutrition and healthy eating, it is also worth noting that education in food hygiene features in the healthy schools standard as well.

Other reasons for getting involved

There may be local circumstances for getting involved in the food in schools agenda. Some of the case studies listed under ‘Food in Schools’ give reasons such as:

• A consultation exercise gave this area priority
• Monitoring of schools meals ensures that the contract is being adhered to
• Links to other policies, such as obesity strategies, food mapping and ‘5 a day’
• Little/no previous work done on food in schools
• Consumer (parental) concerns over the quality of school meals
  

Standards & Guidance for Food in Schools

Legislative Standards

Education (Nutrition Standards for School Lunches) (England) Regulations 2000

These regulations introduce nutrition standards for school lunches for registered pupils at maintained nursery schools, community, foundation and voluntary schools and community and foundation special schools. They set out five food groups and address nutritional requirements for pupils in different ranges based on the establishment they attend. Foods from certain groups are to be available a certain number of times each week.

The regulations will not apply to non Local Education Authority schools.

Health Promotion, Nutrition and Schools (Scotland) Bill

Currently there are no statutory standards in Scotland which apply specifically and explicitly to school meals. In September 2005, the Scottish Executive set legislative plans for school food, including the introduction of a Health Promotion, Nutrition and Schools (Scotland) Bill which will build upon the ‘Hungry for Success’ initiative (see below)

Education (Nutrition Standards for School Lunches) (Wales) Regulations 2001

These regulations set out four food groups. Foods from certain groups are to be available a certain number of times each week.

Northern Ireland

New nutritional standards for school meals are to be introduced in Northern Ireland. The Department of Education has provided additional funding to support the initiative which will be used to improve the nutritional content of school meals.

Guidance

Nutrient – based standards for school food – Caroline Walker Trust and National Heart Forum

These standards were published in 2005 and specify nutrient standards for primary schools, secondary schools and first, middle and upper schools and independent schools. The guidelines are voluntary but accepted as an aspirational standard and several studies of school meals have used the guidelines to benchmark against.

Guidance for caterers on how to comply with the minimum nutrition standards

Guidance for school caterers on how to comply with the Education (Nutrition Standards for School Lunches) (England) Regulations 2000, and examples of good catering practice, for nursery schools, primary schools and secondary schools is available from the DfES (see resources and links section)

Consultation

School Meals Review Panel Report: Turning the Tables: Transforming School Food

The School Meals Review Panel produced their final report to the Department for Education and Skills on 29th September 2005. The Panel was asked to review existing standards for school meals and make recommendations to Government.

The key recommendation of the report is for school lunch provision in primary and secondary schools to meet

• 14 nutrient standards which are very similar to those released by the Caroline Walker Trust
• 9 food based standards which maximise access to healthier foods (e.g. fruit and vegetables) and remove the availability of loss healthy foods (e.g. confectionary, prepacked savoury snacks.

The standards are specified for primary and secondary school children
Consultation on the report ended on 31st December 2005.

Food Standards Agency: Consultation on draft target nutrient specifications for manufactured foods used in school meals throughout the UK.

The target nutrient specifications are based on specifications for manufactured foods used in school meals in Scotland through 'Hungry for Success' and taking into account information on products currently available for use in school meals across the UK. Target specifications are proposed for total fat, saturated fat, total sugar and salt. In addition, target minimum values for protein have been set for certain products to help ensure an adequate protein intake when pupils select vegetarian options. The proposed detailed UK target nutrient specifications are provided in the consultation.

Caterers using manufactured foods procured for use in school meals meeting these proposed target nutrient specifications will be more likely to meet nutrient intake targets. It is proposed that a 'voluntary' approach is adopted, including a combination of voluntary action to reformulate products by leading suppliers and encouragement for schools to procure products meeting the specifications.

The consultation period ended in October 2005.

Scotland – Hungry for Success - final report of the Scottish Executive's Expert Panel on School Meals

This report recommended the establishment of nutrient-based standards known as the Scottish Nutrient Standards for School Lunches supported by guidance to caterers with access to food and health training provided at a national level. The nutrient standards were based on the Caroline Walker Trust Guidelines, with 2 additions;

• Fruits and vegetables should be considered as part of the nutrient standards, with around 30% being supplied by school lunch
• Sodium provision should be no more than 30% of the Dietary Reference Value
  

The report recommended that Scottish Nutrient Standards for School Lunches should be adopted and education authorities and schools should have them in place in all special schools and primary schools by December 2004 and in all secondary schools by December 2006. Monitoring compliance was to be undertaken by HM Inspectorate of Education working, as appropriate, with other relevant agencies.

An interim progress report is available (see publications section)

Improving School Food in your Local Area

What works best?

Before starting an initiative, you might want to consider what approaches have been most successful at improving the nutritional quality of food in schools, and uptake of healthier choices. Initiatives may involve changing menus so that only ‘healthy’ meals are available, educating pupils in order to try to get them to choose ‘healthy’ meals or a combination of both. Most experts agree that a combination of both methods in a ‘whole school approach’ to food is the most effective method.

Getting Involved

This section gives you a range of suggestion of ways you might wish to become involved in improving school food in your area, and includes details of organisations who have carried out work in this area. Please see the ‘resources and links’ section for links to documents mentioned.

Improving the school meals contract.

By suggesting changes to the schools meals contract, the number and variety of healthy options can be increased.
Example:
Hampshire County Council takes samples of food supplied to schools and carries out analysis and microbiological examination. The results are then fed back to the supplier and used as a method to monitor compliance with the contract.

Monitoring the nutritional value and / or microbiological safety of foods provided by a school

This is most easily carried out by sampling. As well as sampling against the criteria in the Education (Nutrition Standards for School Lunches) (England) Regulations 2000, studies have also used the Caroline Walker Trust standards as a benchmark. Foods could also be sampled against the nutritional standards proposed by the School Meals Review Panel, against other criteria set by the authority (for example presence of GM ingredients, speciation of meat, presence of allergens) and against microbiological criteria.
Example:
West Sussex specifically sampled lunchboxes supplied to children against DfEE guidelines and informed the Education Catering Department of the results, and then worked in partnership to help improve the nutritional quality of the lunchboxes.

Oxfordshire Trading Standards devised and used checklists based on the standards in the 2000 regulations. Officers visited schools to complete the checklists and also took samples for nutritional analysis and composition. The results were passed to the school and to County Facilities Management (school meals provider). A ‘Best Schools Meals’ competition was also run which was based upon pupil feedback.

Provide healthy eating and food safety messages to pupils;

This is to encourage pupils to help make healthy choices themselves and improve their food safety awareness when preparing foods. Information could be provided on reading food labels, handwashing, ‘5 a day’, foods as a source of vitamins and minerals etc.

Example:

Stratford and Warwick Council’s use of theatre as medium to deliver hygiene and safety messages

Further Information:

The FSA has a number of resources aimed at children, which can be used to promote healthy eating including quizzes, games, Dish it Up! CD Rom and materials for Eat Smart, Play Smart and Five a day the Bash Street Way.

Helping the caterer plan a nutritionally balanced menu/ helping pupils choose healthier meals

Computer software programmes are available which help caterers and pupils assess their meal choices. Sampling could also be used to analyse proposed menu changes before they take place, or a menu planning checklist could be devised to ensure that the regulations are being complied with.

Example:

Kent CC has produced an Excel spreadsheet programme which pupils can use to assess how healthy their meal choice is, and caterers can use to help plan their menus.

Durham CC has also developed a computer programme which allows any meal combination to be entered. The results are displayed as colourful illustrative graphs and pictures, and younger children have the results given in traffic light format.

Further Information:

Self monitoring checklists are provided for each age group in the DfES guidance publications for school caterers.

Improving the food at different stages of the school day

School lunches are only one part of the day! Why not consider the food provided at breakfast clubs, tuck shops, vending machines, the availability of fresh water or lunchboxes.

Example:

East Ayrshire Kids Club Network provides healthy snacks for kids who attend the kids club. Some of the children help prepare the snacks and also vote on whether they liked the snack.

Further Information:

Department of Health ‘Food in Schools toolkit’. This toolkit has different sections for food provided throughout the day – see ‘Food in Schools’ under Resources and Links.
FSA (Wales) – a practical guide to planning and running a fruit tuck shop

North West Food and Health Task Force http://www.foodandhealthnw.co.uk/nationalgov/schools.asp

www.breakfastclubs.net
www.wateriscoolinschools.org.uk

Healthy Eating Award Scheme

Example:

Darlington Borough Council has an award scheme specifically tailored to schools.

Growing Club / Healthy Cookery Club

Examples:

Food Standards Agency ‘Cook It!’ initiative – a pilot cookery club initiative for 11 – 14 year olds.

Pembrokeshire CC invited children to a ‘hands on’ interactive day which explained to them where food originates from, how to plant and grow fruit and vegetables, recipe demonstrations and tasting.

Further Information:

Healthy School Day/Week

Take part in a healthy school day or healthy school week with other health professionals, local organisations with an interest in food in schools etc. A healthy school day might be used to launch a schools food policy.

Example:

• Brighton and Hove held a Twilight Training Event which included presentations on topics including ‘5 a day’, healthy schools status and how to set up a breakfast club.
• Durham CC took their ‘Café Life’ computer programme into 2 schools as part of a ‘healthy carousel’ which included displays and talks from Environmental Health, School Nurse and the school meal provider. The FSA Cooking Bus also visited one school.

Encouraging sustainability in school foods

This may include introducing more organic foods or foods from local producers.

Example:

• Staffordshire BC ‘Farm School Link Education Pack ‘. This initiative brings together local farmers and schools to share information and to encourage increased understanding of the local farming industry. It aims to help children and the local community appreciate the complex links that exist in getting every day foods from the farm to their plate. The pack encourages children to become more responsible consumers by choosing healthier and more environmentally friendly food and food production options. Some schools have also visited local farms as part of the initiative.
• Bath and NE Somerset also operate a ‘Farm Link’ scheme
• Defra report – ‘Sausage, mash and sustainability – a different kind of food supplement’
• Soil Association report – ‘Promoting nutrition and sustainable consumption through school meals’
• Food in schools programme ‘Public Sector Procurement Initiative’

Evaluating the Success

You will want to consider from an early stage how you intend to evaluate how successful your initiative has been. Methods of evaluation to consider may include; monitoring ordering, uptake & waste food, re-sampling before and after menu changes, feedback from pupils/teachers/catering staff, measuring subject knowledge before and after an initiative.

Lessons Learned

You will find a number of lessons learned in the case studies on the website. However, listed below are some more general ‘tips’ from other publications and organisations:

• Successful initiatives are part of a whole school approach, which is supported by healthy living messages in the curriculum, and involves all stakeholders
• It is useful to have a named individual who has responsibility for the initiative, or a ‘co-ordinator’
• Implement your initiative in a manageable number of schools – use selection critieria if necessary (e.g. prioritise schools with a high % of free schools meals)
• Sampling costs may be expensive, particularly if you use the Caroline Walker Trust guidelines as they contain a number of categories
• Gradual integration of healthier meals is a good way to introduce menu changes
• Remember to recognise cultural diversity – education initiatives and menu choices need to reflect the foods which different groups and cultures use.

Organisations and People you might wish to contact and involve

• School Nutrition Action Groups (SNAGs) are school based alliances in which staff, pupils and caterers, supported by health and education professionals work together to review and expand the range of food and drink to increase the uptake of a healthier diet and ensure consistent messages from the curriculum and food service. The Healthy Schools Initiative supports SNAGs in the implementation of a whole school approach to healthy eating. Successful initiative have set up or used an existing SNAG to help implement their ideas.
• School Governors. The FSA has produced a strategic policy framework for governing bodies regarding food issues in schools. The framework leads governors step by step through actions they can take to encourage their school to adopt a whole school approach to food and nutrition.
• Parents (Non Governors). A toolkit for parents has been devised by the DfES to encourage them to become involved in the provision of food in schools. Initiatives which involve changing menus have found it useful to engage parents and get their support for the changes, particularly if the cost of meals is likely to increase with a menu change. Examples of the ways in which parents have been involved and informed include:

• Newsletters, including introducing new menus
• ‘Taster’ parents evenings
• Guest chef’ – parents who have a food business help prepare one day’s meal
• Inviting them to join in school meals

• Pupils

• Taster sessions
• Consultation and feedback – using the school council where one exists
• Healthy recipe competitions (winners could be added to the school menu)
• Pupil run healthy tuck shops

• School Caterers. Guidance is available for caterers on how to meet the nutritional standards (see resources section).
• Local Health Professionals – Dieticians, 5 a day co-ordinators, health improvement personnel, oral hygienist.
  
• Local Authority education department
• Public Analyst (if samples are to be taken)
• School Food Trust

Other things to bear in mind…

• Facilities at the school
• Amount of time caterers given for preparation and cleaning
• Caterers cooking skills – how experienced are they?
• Payment options – some children who are entitled to claim free school meals do not do so because of the ‘stigma’ attached.
• People who come into contact with children as part of an initiative or project may be required to have a criminal records check
• Monitoring what foods children actually choose – some children may feel uncomfortable about adults ‘watching’ which foods they choose.
• Portion size – if pupil meals are sampled, ensure that the portion size is the same as the size of meal actually given to the child. This will give an accurate nutritional result

Resources and Links

a) DfES publications

Report of the School Meals Review Panel:
http://www.dfes.gov.uk
Guidance to caterers on the compulsory nutritional standards for school lunches which came into effect on 1 April 2001:

For nursery school lunches

– introduction and downloadable "Healthy School Lunches" school caterers guidance document.
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/schoollunches/infants.shtml

For secondary school lunches

– introduction and downloadable "Healthy School Lunches" school caterers guidance document.
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/schoollunches/secondary.shtml

A copy of the report ‘School Meals in Secondary Schools in England’ – produced in conjunction with the Food Standards Agency
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR557.pdf

Food in Schools: A short guide for parents and carers
http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk

b) Food in Schools

www.foodinschools.org

Download the Food in Schools toolkit via the link below;
http://foodinschools.datacenta.uk.net/home.asp?idTopic=0&idPage=1

The toolkit includes guides on vending, lunches, cookery clubs, water provision, whole school food policy etc

Sustainability - Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative (PSFPI)

PSFPI aims to procure food in a manner that promotes sustainable development and removes barriers to small and local suppliers' in order to raise farming standards, encourage more tenders from small local producers, demand healthy food, reduce environmental impacts and remove barriers to supply.

For schools, the PSFPI provides:

Material for raising awareness, guidance on procuring more sustainable food and tools such as the Catering and Food Procurement Toolkit

Case studies to promote best practice
http://www.foodinschools.org/psfpi/index.php

c) Food Standards Agency

Information on school based food initiatives, including Cook It! and ‘Five a Day the Bash Street Way’
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/bookmarknut.pdf

Information for school governors about how to encourage their school to adopt a whole school approach to food and nutrition. It also details individual policy areas such as breakfast clubs, tuck shops and school lunches
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/foodpolicygovernor.pdf

Consultation on UK target nutrient specifications for manufactured products used in school meals
http://www.food.gov.uk
A practical guide to planning and running a school fruit tuck shop
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/fruittuckwales.pdf

d) Soil Association

Details of the Soil Associations ‘Food for Life’ campaign
http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/GetInvolved/ffl.html

The ‘Food For Life’ school meals action pack guides head teachers, parents, school cooks, governors and caterers through the first steps to improving meals through a whole school approach
http://www.soilassociation.org
Also available to buy is a report on ‘Healthy, local organic school meals’ which includes case studies of schools pioneering healthy mealtimes, and details actions that schools, caterers, government and parents can take to get healthy, local and organic food into schools.
http://www.soilassociation.org

The report: ‘Double Dividend? Promoting good nutrition and sustainable consumption through healthy school meals’ can be found at:
http://www.soilassociation.org
Curriculum pack with activities and resources:
http://www.farmtrails.org.uk/fflcurrpack

e) Defra

Background information on the Public Sector Food Procurement Initiative, including a downloadable copy of ‘Sausage, Mash and Sustainability: a different kind of food supplement’:
http://www.defra.gov.uk

f) The Caroline Walker Trust

Nutrient based standards for school food:
http://www.cwt.org.uk/Eatingwell24pp_V2.pdf

Other publications on the subject on food in schools are available to buy from the Caroline Walker Trust
http://www.cwt.org.uk/publications.html

g) Teachernet

‘Teachernet’ website contains some useful information on food throughout the school day, as well as examples of case studies.
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/healthyliving/foodanddrink/

h) 5 a Day

http://www.5aday.nhs.uk/

The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme is part of the 5 a day programme to increase fruit and vegetable consumption. Under the Scheme, all four to six year old children in LEA maintained infant, primary and special schools will be entitled to a free piece of fruit or vegetable each school day.
http://www.5aday.nhs.uk/sfvs/default.aspx

i) Health Education Trust

Independent National Database of Information on Catering Excellence in Schools
http://www.healthedtrust.com/pages/natldb.htm

School Nutrition Action Group (SNAG) web pages. Includes a newsletter with examples of SNAG successes and failures.
http://www.healthedtrust.com/pages/snag.htm

Order a copy of ‘The Chips are Down’ – a comprehensive guide to food policy in schools
http://www.healthedtrust.com/pages/ordering.php

j) National Healthy School Programme & Wired for Health

The document below outlines the National Healthy Schools Programme (NHSP), introduces the concept of national healthy school status and describes the benefits of becoming a 'healthy school'. It describes what schools need to do to gain national healthy school status.
http://www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk/cat.php?catid=842

Wired for Health is a series of websites developed by the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills.

Health information is provided for a range of audiences that relates to the National Curriculum and the National Healthy Schools Programme
http://www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk/

k) Sustain

Sustain’s ‘Grab 5’ initiative is a project which encourages primary school pupils to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
The home page address is:
http://www.sustainweb.org/grab5_index.asp

The site contains many useful resources which are available to download, including;

A model school food policy
www.sustainweb.org/g5fp/model.htm

A model school food policy – A practical guide
www.sustainweb.org/pdf/G5_MFPol.pdf

Setting up a fruit tuck shop
http://www.sustainweb.org/g5ap/idea5.asp

l) Other publications and links

Monitoring the implementation of ‘Hungry for Success’ – A report on progress. This is the Scottish initiative to improve food in schools.
http://www.hmie.gov.uk/documents/publication/hmiemihs.html

The Education (Nutrition Standards for School Lunches) (England) Regulations 2000
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2000/20001777.htm

The Education (Nutrition Standards for School Lunches) (Wales) Regulations 2001
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/wales/wsi2001/20011784e.htm

Water in schools
www.wateriscoolinschools.org.uk
www.healthedtrust.com/pages/winter02.htm

Promotion of milk in schools
www.milkforschools.org.uk

Free resources including healthy cookbooks and ‘Nutrition Mission’ CD Rom
www.bhf.org.uk/publications/uploaded/bhf_blue_order_form.pdf

Educational visits to farms
www.farmsforteachers.org.uk

Information and resource pack on the Growing Schools Initiative
www.schoolsgarden.org.uk

Chew on This – a website from the Food Commission for 11-14 year olds which explains how food is produced and it’s affects on health
www.chewonthis.org.uk

Tackling Child Obesity – First Steps (A report by the National Audit Office)
http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/05-06/0506801.htm

Starting and maintaining an organic food garden – a website for schools from Garden Organic (The Henry Doubleday Research Association)
www.schoolsorganic.net