Healthy Eating Policy

Rationale

The health of our island’s children is a key priority for all of us. But there is mounting evidence that poorly balanced diets and an inactive lifestyle could jeopardise the health of our children. Diet is a contributing factor to the rapid rise in childhood obesity, and that too many children's diets are too high in fat, salt and sugar, and too low in fruit and vegetables. Poorly nourished children, especially those who are overweight or obese, experience social and psychological problems, which have a significant impact on behaviour and performance in schools.  

Aim

• To ensure that all aspects of food and nutrition in school promote health and wellbeing of pupils, staff and visitors to our school.

Objectives 

• Ensure that cross-curricular links are made to enhance awareness and promote healthy living. (Planning and cc lessons) 
• Encourage sensible water consumption during the course of the day. 
• Ensure information relating to food and nutrition in different lesson areas is consistent and up-to-date. (Planning) 
• Encourage parents to provide & pupils to consume healthier snacks and packed lunches.  
• Ensure that there is a healthy food message in each year group that is revisited annually. 
• Promote understanding of where our food comes from by ‘grow your own’ in year groups. 
• Promote fruit and vegetable awareness using teachers and lunchtime supervisors to encourage healthy choices.

Guidelines: 

• Pupils, parents, staff & governors will be informed and consulted with issues surrounding food & nutrition.  
• Pupils will be taught elements of food, nutrition & healthy living in Design & Technology, Science, Geography, P.E. & PSHE. 
• A healthy food fortnight will be held when it is felt we need to raise awareness of diet 
• Refillable Water Bottles are brought by children and refilled in line with our ‘no to plastic’. 
• Children will grow their own to educate themselves on where their food comes from. 
• Where possible visits will be arranged in line with educating children about our food.

Further reading/ literature available 

https://www.nhs.uk/change4life