The Health Education Trust

What do your pupils really want to eat?
Click here to view sample questionnaire for use with pupils. Adapted from St Aidan’s School questionnaire and available for use in your school.

See St Aidan’s website to view their questionnaire results to date. http://www.staidans.co.uk

• A new kitchen and dining area was built and new equipment brought for year 8-11 pupils, the previous dining room is a multifunction room and caters for year 7’s. A classroom was remodelled and is used as an all day sixth form café for staff and sixth formers, serving 650 pupils daily. This facility is also used for a breakfast club that serves 100 pupils daily and an after school tea service that serves a variety of hot and cold meals. Staff can also have an evening takeaway service. The refurbishment was part funded by a loan received from the Local Authority and is payable over a 5 year period, and also by LMS (Local Management of Schools), fundraising, trust funds and grants. Repayment of the loan is from general school funds only rather than the catering service profits.
• The interview process for the school chef consisted of the applicant bringing in £5 worth of ingredients and preparing a light snack suitable for a secondary school pupil. The chef appointed has 25 years experience in restaurants and hotels and has improved the quality of the food and works closely to follow the curriculum guidelines for a healthy diet. The second chef has 20 years of non-school catering experiences.
• Cashless catering system is now in operation with 8 tills. This system allows the caterers and parents/guardians to follow their children’s eating patterns, and each month letters are sent home to those pupils who have “inappropriate diets,” i.e. more than 15 fizzy drinks in a month.
• There is no need for queuing rotas as the children are aware that all meals are guaranteed to be available throughout the lunch hour. Queues move quickly because of the cashless system.
• Chips are only available once a week, and are freshly made and are only served as part of a full meal.
• Main courses come with vegetables, so children are always given a balanced meal.
• Food is freshly prepared from products sourced locally where possible. Having a variety of different suppliers involves plenty of admin. work, so a new member of staff was appointed to do this.

• Four years ago less than 300 children were consuming school dinners, and now St Aidan’s are serving over 1,700 to both children and teachers. This figure includes the 800 pupils in year 11, 12 and 13 who are allowed to leave the premises at lunch.
• 100% increase in uptake straight away.
• More than 70% of staff consume school meals.
• Little waste.
• Noticeable feeling of well-being.
• Children of all ages choose to eat vegetables and healthy alternatives.
• The lunch hour is vibrant and pleasant.
• Children appreciate the quality and variety of food on offer.
• Children are calmer and more alert in lessons, and as a result they have a greater pride in their school environment.
• Children are encouraged to sit and chat during lunch – socialise.
• Increase in the sales of bottled water and a reduction in the sale of fizzy drinks.
• Children are choosing to eat vegetables and salads.
• Positive feedback from the community and there are two weekly tours of the facilities given to other schools who are interested in the changes made to the catering provisions.
• Pupils taking up food technology in the 6th form has doubled.
• Takings doubled in the first year and are now four times higher than under the previous catering system.
• Daily takings average between £2,600- £2,800 per day, which has enabled the catering to be financially independent of the education service.
• The school is now able to cater for big social events, with a booking for a wedding next year.

What are the main things that have made these changes work?

• Creating a partnership between catering and education.
• The catering manager.
• Further and ongoing staff training for all catering staff.

1. Don’t be intimidated by the “experts” (contract caterers) if you are unhappy with your catering provisions, and ignore their negative responses about your lack of experiences and knowledge. Information is available for you to succeed!
2. An improvement in meal quality was seen immediately.
3. Appointing the right people is essential.
4. Involve the catering manager in the development of new dining room equipment was an important factor to this success.
5. Local food suppliers must work hard to demonstrate their professionalism and ability to deliver quality produce and a continuity of supply.

• The school has just appointed a dietician/nutritionist to work with the children, staff and cashless catering system to further improve variety and choices.
• An organic vegetable garden is on site, which will part supply the kitchens. A commercial standard glasshouse will also provide other salad crops.
• Local sourcing and quality produce remains a priority.
• There is an increasing demand for consultancy work to help other schools develop their own catering enterprises. With two visits a week from other schools around the country.
• Children are kept informed of developments.
• Recruitment of an onsite baker.
• School meal recipe book.