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What’s the big idea?
- Information and understanding about food and nutrition gained
in the classroom should be supported by school rules and traditions.
- A food policy, as described in section 2, is much broader than
simply a list of school rules on food. However, food rules would
be included in a food policy and having them written down means
that everyone knows what to expect and what they are working towards.
Start from where you are
What are your current rules, traditions and practices about food?
Do any of them undermine healthy eating messages? Can any of them
be improved upon? What particular problems and issues does your
school face? Involve everyone. Discuss and agree changes within
your school council and/or SNAG. If the children have been involved
in the decisions being made about food rules, and if they agree
with them, they will work far more effectively and smoothly. Be
wary not to make too many changes too quickly. Some schools involved
in the Grab 5! pilot project did make changes very quickly without
any problems but others experienced resistance and/or backlash from
both children and parents and concluded it would have been better
to take the process more slowly.
There is a surprising amount of variation between schools in terms
of their food rules and traditions. You may find it useful to speak
to colleagues from other schools to share ideas and experiences.
Some schools are adamant that they could never stop children from
bringing in crisps (arguing the children need the energy and parents
would object) and claiming they could not stop selling the sweets
in the tuck shop because they need the extra income. Other schools
are sweet, crisp and/or fizzy drink free and experience only support
from parents. Whatever action is taken must suit your school's particular
circumstances.
Communicate
Food rules can be a positive opportunity for communicating the school's
healthy eating ethos to parents, children, teachers and the wider
community. Pass the message on in assemblies, newsletters, and displays
and in your school prospectus. Use the local media for publicity.
Make up your own "traditions"
Several schools allow only fruit and vegetable snacks at break time.
Give status to fruit and vegetables by giving them pride of place
at birthdays and celebrations and using them as gifts and prizes.
Fruit rewards
Several schools involved in the Grab 5! pilot project gradually
moved to using fruit as rewards instead of sweets and other unhealthy
foods. In many cases this happened by default and wasn't an idea
that had been planned at the beginning of the project. This reflects
how attitudes towards fruit and vegetables can change amongst a
school population over the course of the project.
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Food Rules from other schools
(or you can think up your own)
- No sweets can be brought into school.
- Fruit can be brought in as breaktime
snacks.
- No fizzy drinks can be brought into
school.
- Only water or fruit juice allowed
in packed lunches.
- The school does not accept sponsorship
from companies which undermine its healthy eating ethos.
- Give fruit rather than chocolate
and biscuits as prizes.
Change the rules!
- Declare your school a sweet free
zone
- Give healthy packed lunch advice
- Kick out the junk food companies
- Work with local businesses
- Give pineapples as prizes
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Taking it to the classroom
If you have a particular burning issue you could use this
as the basis for classroom discussions, role-play and research.
Section 2 of the Grab 5! curriculum pack focuses on changing
children's diets. Included are activities that encourage
children to think for themselves about what they and their
school could be doing to encourage healthy eating. Some
examples of discussion topics include:
Should we sign up for 'Free Books for Schools' or free
sports gear for schools?
How many packets of crisps do you have to eat for one 'free'
book or bars of chocolate for one basket ball? How much
would this cost? How healthy are these foods? Can you think
of healthier snacks? What are the arguments for and against
being part of this promotion?
Should the school go sweet, crisp and fizzy drink free?
What are the pros and cons - for health, energy, income
for the school? Would teachers follow the rule too? What
would be the punishment for bringing in banned food? What
can be included as a healthy snack? How would these foods
be made available - from home, from a tuck shop, from a
vending machine?
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Bull Point Primary School enacted a 'healthy snack'
policy in which parents were asked to send their kids to school
with fruit and vegetables instead of crisps. The school reported
that this small request was well received and that the transition
from unhealthy snacks to healthy ones went smoothly.
From January 2002 Sandford Primary School introduced fruit as a
reward to be given out in assembly. When a class has bought a total
of 50 healthy snacks (on sale on a Tuesday morning), the children
receive a selection of fruit to share.
Fir Tree Primary School, started a fruit raffle:
"The idea of the fruit raffle is a really simple one
but it has proved to be successful in the reduction of 'late comers'
to school each day. Children who arrive at school each day go
into a class raffle for a free piece of fruit. If their name is
picked out they receive the fruit of their choice from the office.
The children are genuinely excited about the raffle and look forward
to winning free fruit. We have gone from 90% of children attending
on time to 97%, and all for the price of a banana".
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Food in Schools Toolkit and website - 
