To enable pupils to make healthy food choices through the provision of information and development of appropriate skills and attitudes.
To provide healthy food choices throughout the school day.

Improvements to the catering service

Changes have been phased over this 5 year period:

• Phase 1 – more money was available to be put towards the food service, this allowed menus to be more varied and creative e.g. custard was made with real milk, and there was more fresh fruit as a daily option.
  Communications improved between the school and the parents, with children taking menus home as part of better marketing of the school meals service, parents then had the freedom to opt in or out of the meals service. Parents were invited and positively encouraged to come into school and eat with their children on a regular basis (this facility has continued and has become an integral part of the school routine).
• Phase 2 – beef was sourced locally, in direct response to the BSE concerns. Other meats are also now locally sourced.
• Phase 3 – other foods were incorporated in the local sourcing policy, including vegetables and potatoes. This meant moving back to cooking with fresh produce (as opposed to pre-peeled/pre-prepared varieties). This move has enabled more fresh produce to be included on the menu as well as providing knowledge about where the food is sourced from.
  The amount of food cooked on site started to increase, e.g. freshly made pizzas, cooking such meals has given the catering staff greater job satisfaction.
• Phase 4 – the use of organic produce increased, such as flour, sugar, pasta, milk, butter and eggs.
• Phase 5 – the school joined the Government’s National Free Fruit scheme, this enabled an extension of the healthy eating policy from lunchtimes into the curriculum. This also stimulated changes in the snacks brought in from home, with increased awareness by parents and children of the importance of healthy eating and what this involves, allowing them to make more informed choices. Using the National Free Fruit scheme as the lever enabled the school to state that they would prefer all snacks brought into school to be fruit and vegetables, and drinks to be water.
• Phase 6 – the catering service was professionalised by giving it a name and identity – Primary Choice Catering. A leaflet was produced for all parents with a mission statement to introduce them to the new caterers. It was important for the school to establish Primary Choice Catering as a fundamental part of the school, with a genuine partnership between the school, governors, parents, pupils and the local community. Of particular importance for the success has been the partnership between the Head and the Catering Manager.
  At this stage the school began to focus on the social side of eating – etiquette, the introduction of table cloths and plates replaced the flight trays that were used previously.
• Phase 7 – the schools view of health was broadened to encompass physical activity as well as food and this has involved extracurricular sporting activities.
• Assorted fresh salad, seasonal vegetables and jacket potatoes are served daily alongside the main meal with fresh fruit, yoghurt, cheese and biscuits available for dessert (see menu below for further details).

Fresh fruit, yoghurt, cheese and biscuits

Measuring success:

• School dinner uptake prior to the changes was 61%, which was higher than the national average. Because of the changes to the catering system, meal uptake by the pupils has increase by a third to 80%.
• Fruit and vegetable intake by the children has increased, both from snacks brought into school (children only bring in fruit for snacks) and from school meals.
• St Peter’s have improved the link between the importance of food and the curriculum.
• The initial success of the changes and the increase in meal uptake generated more income, which will allow the catering service to develop further as the money is ploughed back into the catering provisions. This is monitored by the School Governors.
• Changes have encouraged parents to source their meats and vegetables locally. Awareness of the local farms by parents and children has also increased, which has helped support the local economy.
• Pupil’s knowledge and understanding about healthy eating has shown a marked change.
• St Peter’s was the first primary school to serve a fully organic meal, which was achieved with support from the local Post Office, who sells organic fresh produce from its own organic allotment.
• Pupils and parents have provided the school with positive feedback.
• Achievements
  • Healthy School Standards.
  • Observer Newspaper National Award for ‘Best Contribution to the Food and Drink Industry’ 2004.
  • Midlands Woman of Achievement of the Year 2004.
  • BBC Radio 4 Public Caterer of the Year 2003.
  • Soil Association National Award for Local Food Initiative of the Year 2002.

• To remain open to any new possibilities.
• Mains-connected filtered water coolers to be fitted in each classroom.
• Exploring fair-trade issues – both for locally sourced and from abroad (e.g. bananas), as part of the school Citizenship.
• To have a HDRA Garden, which is an organic garden.