Best in Class
A scheme designed to recognise best practice across the whole school catering provision.
Wreay Church of England School

Carlisle
CA4 0RL
Tel/fax: 016974 73275

Email: office@wreay.cumbria.sch.uk

Week Commencing ……………………………………
Monday
Pizza, Waffles/Wedges & Hoops with salad

Syrup Sponge & Custard/Fruit
Tuesday Bolognaise & Garlic Bread

Mousse/Fruit
Wednesday Fish Fingers, Waffles/Wedges & Peas

Jelly & Ice cream/Fruit
Thursday Jacket Potatoes with salad

Chocolate Sponge & Custard/Fruit
Friday Sausage Roll, Mash & Gravy

Flapjack/Fruit

Daily
– Salad tray with, lettuce peppers cucumber carrot
– Apple & orange
– Fruit & Yoghurt

How Wreay School changed it’s catering services

Wreay School is a very small rural primary school of 43 pupils, which had no facilities to cook lunches on site, so school meals were cooked off the premises, 5 miles away and transported to the school. As the school has limited space lunches are eaten in the classrooms.

With the delegation of school budgets, the subsidy provided to part-fund the school meal provisions in small schools ceased in April 2004, making it no longer viable for the school to continue to ‘buy in’ it’s school meals. The school took part in an HET funded project to explore alternative provision for small schools.

A small kitchen was created to allow food to be cooked on site. The school worked closely with Cumbria Contract Services to achieve these improvements. The project adopted a whole school approach, which contributed to its success.

A survey was conducted among children as part of lessons to discover popular foods that could be included in the new menus. Opinions on soups, salads, and jacket potato fillings, protein items to be served with salads, simple desserts, yoghurts and fresh fruits were gathered.

Questionnaires were sent to parents to see if uptake would increase if provisions were changed.

Menus are now sent home so children can choose what they want to eat for three week periods at a time.

The initial planning commenced in February 2003, and the kitchen was up and running by the September. New equipment was installed in October 2004, which was funded by the Local Authority.

Improvements to the catering service

  • Flight trays and beakers were replaced with brightly coloured alternatives.
  • Light equipment was supplied on loan e.g. baking trays and chopping boards.
  • Menus reflect children’s preferences, while conforming to nutrition standards, with children being involved in selecting popular items on the menu.
  • Drinks are supplied with meals.
  • Seasonal vegetables are used to minimise costs.
  • Children were familiarized with different types of food and the constituents of a healthy diet.
  • Food presentation has improved with a wider variety of foods on offer.
  • The meals are good value for money.
  • The relationship between the school and the caterers has improved.
  • Because meals are chosen at home on a 3 week basis this has increased parents input into their children’s daily intake.
  • Due to the success of the new kitchen, other schools have asked for information on how to carry out this service.

Measuring success:

  • Meal uptake increased by over 50% during the 12 week trial, see graph below, with more than 80% of pupils consuming school meals. This situation has improved since the trail with every child now consuming a school meal.
  • Allowed pupil leadership role in changing the food provision within young people’s dietary habits taken into account.
  • Raised the awareness of the consumption of healthier foods to influence young people’s dietary habits.
  • Encouraged ownership of the food provisions within the school by teaching the staff, governors, pupils and parents.
  • Reinforced classroom teaching about food and nutrition.
  • Provide examples of business enterprise and catering initiatives.
  • Teaching staff now consume school lunches.

Where next?

  • Continue developing the improvements seen over the last few years.

Health Education Trust
18 High Street / Broom / Alcester / Warwickshire / B50 4HJ
enquiries @HealthEdTrust.com