A School Nutrition Action Group (SNAG) is a vital ingredient for the success of any whole school food project. It will provide the powerhouse for change that will then be able to tackle the education and health issues that the school has to consider.

Typical membership of the SNAG will be:

• Pupil representatives
  
• A representative from senior management - head teacher or deputy head teacher
  
• A teacher representing a key curriculum area (science, design and technology, PSHCE)
  
• The Healthy Schools co-ordinator (for schools involved in the National Healthy Schools Standard)
  
• The catering supervisor
  
• The SFVS school coordinator

In addition other members could be co-opted, for example:

• Parents
  
• Governors
  
• The Grab 5! area co-ordinator (if there is one)
  
• A community dietitian
  
• The catering area manager
  
• The school adviser/health education adviser/PSHCE adviser
  
• A dental health education representative
  
• A paediatrician / community physician
  
• The school nurse
  
• The school caretaker
  
• A playscheme manager
  
• A youth worker
  
• The SFVS area coordinator

The actual make-up of the SNAG will depend upon local circumstances - who is interested, who has experience, and who has the time. It will also depend on what already exists in the school. If the school already has a school council or, as part of the Healthy Schools Programme, a health forum, it may not be necessary to form a new group to focus specifically on food and nutrition. The SNAG might be a sub-group of an already existing structure.

It is important that the SNAG really works and is not just a body to 'rubber stamp' plans. It is crucial that pupils are included in the decision making process at an appropriate level for their age.

You should think about ways to ensure that everyone is able to participate effectively and the meetings are not dominated by one or two people. Don't limit yourself to a formal meeting structure with a chair, minutes and agenda but use other techniques such as brainstorming, drawing pictures and forming small groups to promote discussion and record ideas.