Iver Village Junior School

Healthy Eating Policy

We respect the children as valued customers. We give the children time and space to
eat in a calm and attractive environment. We help the children to see that enjoying
food and eating meals with others contriutes to a happy lifestyle. We encourage the
children to find out more aout achieving a healthy alance! to try new foods! and new
flavours in a supportive environment. We promote school food to children! parents and
carers. We listen to and accept constructive feedac" and respond accordingly.
Written y# $r. J. %avey
%ate Written# &'.&(.)&(*
+eview %ate# Jan )&('
Introduction:
,s a Health Promoting School! Iver Village Junior School is committed to encouraging
and developing positive attitudes towards food and a healthy diet. Promoting a healthy
lifestyle is integral to our curriculum and we recognise the importance of offering
children the opportunity to ma"e informed choices aout what! when! where and why
they eat.
,s a school we "now that food is fundamental to the -uality of a child.s life! not just in
providing essential nutrition ut in communicating and sharing positive values! attitudes
and e/periences with each other.
We elieve that adults 0staff! parents and carers1 should e good role models and
should support the children in understanding how alanced nutrition contriutes to a
person.s health! happiness and well2eing.
,s part of a alanced diet containing carohydrates! fats! protein and fruit and
vegetales! the amount of fruit and vegetales eaten has een identified at a national
level as a concern. 3here is therefore a nationwide policy to encourage everyone to eat
more fruit and vegetales. 3he school promotes fruit and vegetales as a healthy
snac".
Aims and Objectives:
1.1 3o improve the health of pupils! staff and the whole school community y helping to
influence eating haits through increasing "nowledge and awareness of food issues
including what constitutes a healthy diet.
1.2 3o ensure pupils are well nourished at school and that every pupil has access to
safe! tasty and nutritious food and a safe! easily availale water supply during the
school day.
1.3 3o ensure that food provision in the school ac"nowledges the ethical and medical
re-uirements of staff and pupils e.g. religious! vegetarian! medical and allergenic needs.
1.4 3o introduce and promote practices within the school to reinforce these aims and
to remove or discourage practices that negate them.
Organisation - Curriculum:
2.1 We regard healthy eating education as a whole2school issue! and we elieve that
opportunities to teach aout the importance of living a healthy lifestyle occur
throughout the curriculum.
2.2 Healthy eating education forms an important part of our school.s curriculum. 3he
importance of alanced nutrition and healthy food choices is e/plicitly taught through
the Science! %3 and PSHE curriculum.
2.3 ,ll pupils have the opportunity to learn aout safe food preparation and to learn
aout where food comes from. Pupils learn aout the re-uirements for plant growth!
the food chain and the components of a healthy diet through the Science 4urriculum.
Organisation Management o !ating:
,t Iver Village Junior School! we have agreed the following statements#
3.1 5ey Stage ) children will e encouraged to eat only fruit or vegetales at rea"
time. Parents and 4arers can also pay to join the $il" Scheme! where purchased mil" is
provided y the local dairy company! 6 4ool $il"! for the children to drin" at rea"
time.
3.2 ,ll children are encouraged to ring in a water ottle so they can have access to
water throughout the day. Water fountains are also provided in the school for
additional access to drin"ing water.
3.3 4hocolate! sweets! iscuits! crisps and ca"es are actively discouraged as everyday
snac"s in school or as part of lunch o/es. 4hewing gum and fi77y drin"s are not
permitted in the school premises or while the children are representing the school.
4ereal ars are also discouraged ecause these can often contain as much sugar as
chocolate ars.
3.4 3he contents of pupils. luncho/es will e monitored y the lunchtime supervisors
with any concerns eing passed onto the class teacher.
3." 8ecause we recognise that there is no such thing as 9ad food!. we teach the
children to enjoy treats in moderation. :riday is one day in the wee" where children and
staff enjoy snac"s other than fruit or vegetales. 3he 93reat. should still e relatively
0e.g. cereal ar1 healthy and not e/cessive.
3.# 8irthday.s and special events such as 4hristmas parties in class are also times
where food contriutes to a sense of celeration and sharing. ;n these occasions foods
other than fruit or vegetales may e offered! ut the staff will remind the children
that this is an 9occasional. treat and not <every day food=.
3.$ 3he school community is aware of the possiility of food allergies within the school
population! particularly nut allergies. Parents or carers of children who are on special
diets for medical or religious reasons! or have allergies! will e as"ed to provide as
much information as possile aout which foods are suitale or foods which must e
avoided. 3his information will e displayed in the staff room and school "itchen.
Information is also collected on the signs>symptoms and treatment for children having
an allergic reaction.
3.% Pupils are taught not to share pac"ed lunches and parents are reminded aout the
need to avoid sending in pac"ed lunches containing nuts. Iver Village Junior School
cannot guarantee that all parents will comply with the re-uest and for that reason the
school does not purport to e a <nut free school=. :urther! advise from the allergies
wesites suggest that it is in the interest of pupils longer term safety! that they learn
to e aware of the ris"s of cross contamination and that they learn to manage the ris"s
themselves.
3.& Portions 6 no child is made to finish all the food that they are offered ecause we
"now that appetites vary from person to person. However! we do actively encourage the
children to <try a little it more= if they can! to ensure that they are not hungry later
on in the day.
'c(ool Meals
4.1 3he hot meal service is offered through %olce. We wor" closely with the school
coo" and with %olce to ensure the healthiest possile meals are provided. 8read and
fresh fruit are always provided.
4.2 3he wee"ly school food menu is displayed on our schools wesite and availale in
reception. Parents and 4arers can pre2order their child.s meal oth at home and at
school. 3he wee"ly lunch menu is sent home on a termly asis for Parents>4arers and
children to discuss meal choices.
4.3 3he Head 3eacher monitors the -uality of the meals on a regular asis. :ood
surveys are also sent home so continuous feedac" can e monitored and recorded.
)(e !ating !nvironment
".1 3he midday supervisors assist the children in a variety of ways such as opening
containers! helping with cutlery and "eeping tale surfaces clean and tidy.
".2 3he tales and chairs allow for the pupils to sit in friendship groups promoting the
idea that lunch times are a happy! social occasion.
".3 4hildren will e encouraged to develop good eating s"ills and tale manners at lunch
time and will e given plenty of time to eat. 3his will e achieved y#
Sitting freely with their friends e.g. pac"ed lunches and school dinner sitting
together.
8eing encouraged to try a wide range of foods at lunchtimes to develop a taste
for a greater variety of foods and achieve a alanced diet.
Entering and leaving the diner in an orderly way? to show respect for other
diners.
%emonstrating good manners e.g. using -uiet partner voices and saying <please=
and <than" you= to the coo"s! midday supervisors and other pupils.
See"ing the permission of the midday supervisor efore leaving the tale.
)(e role o t(e co-ordinator:
#.1 It is the responsiility of the coordinator to ensure that staff and parents are
informed aout the healthy eating policy! and that the policy is implemented
effectively.
#.2 It is the co2ordinators role to ensure that staff are given sufficient training so
that they can teach effectively.
#.3 3he co2ordinator liaises with e/ternal agencies regarding the healthy eating
education programme and ensures that all adults who wor" with children on these issues
are aware of the school policy and wor" within its framewor".
#.4 3he co2ordinator monitors teaching and learning aout healthy eating. 3he co2
ordinator oversees the content of the curriculum maps to ensure that all pupils have
the opportunity to learn aout healthy eating.
#." 3he co2ordinator encourages positive role models amongst the staff y encouraging
healthy options for staff 9treats. such as fruit.
)(e role o t(e *arents:
$.1 3he school is aware that the primary role model in children.s healthy eating
education lies with parents. We wish to uild a positive and supportive relationship with
the parents of children at our school through mutual understanding! trust and co2
operation. In promoting this this ojective we will#
Inform parents aout the school healthy eating education policy and practice
Encourage parents to e involved in renewing school policy and ma"ing
modifications to it as necessary
Inform parents aout the est practice "nown with regard to healthy eating so
that the parents can support the "ey messages eing given to the children at
school.
)(e role o t(e +overnors:
%.1 3he governing ody is responsile for monitoring the healthy eating policy. 3he
governors support the Head teacher in following guidelines from e/ternal agencies.
@overnors inform and consult with parents aout the healthy eating policy as re-uired.
Monitoring and !valuation:
&.1 3he effective implementation of this policy will e monitored y the co2ordinator!
the Head teacher and the governing ody.
&.2 3he policy will e evaluated after ) years through a survey of the views of the
whole school community! particularly the view of pupils. 3his ta"es place through
assemlies! in class discussion and school council.