Schools opt for healthier school meals
The New Year has ushered in a fresh approach to school meals in Islington
after headteachers gave their support to extending the School Meals
Improvement Plan to all schools. The scheme has been piloted in approximately
half of Islington's schools since summer 2005.
The improvements to school meals are being made within the existing contract
with Scolarest, and involve a step-change to introduce more fresh vegetables,
with more meals cooked in the schools' kitchens, and limiting the number of
times that chips are on the menu.
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From the start of this term, all primary schools, special schools, nursery
schools, Early Years Centres and PRUs will be provided with more school-cooked
main course items, at least one fresh vegetable every day and better quality
fish fingers and burgers;
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From the start of this term, all secondary schools will have an improved menu,
which will be determined on a school-by-school basis, and implemented in
discussion with Scolarest.
Schools are being asked to consider giving a high priority to increasing the
funding for school meals from April 2006 so that the improvements can be
continued beyond the Spring term.
Councillor James Kempton, Executive Member for Children said:
"It's great news that every Islington child will now be receiving a better
quality school meal than before, with every meal including at least one
freshly cooked vegetable. It's a small step that indicates priority is being
given to improving the nutrition and health of Islington's children. Achieving
this aim requires better school meals, and a lot more besides. Our target is
to make all of our schools '
Healthy Schools', with each school meeting nationally agreed standards in
health-related criteria."
Notes
National requirements for a Healthy School:
The national requirements for a healthy school cover four themes, which relate
to the taught curriculum, as well as the emotional, physical and learning
environment:
Schools can gain National Healthy School Status if they can demonstrate
evidence of all the criteria in each of the four themes and are able to show a
whole school approach to this.
Islington's Healthy Schools Programme is a partnership between the Council,
CEA@Islington and Islington Primary Care Trust.
More information about Healthy Schools is available from
Wired for Health.
For more information, please contact CEA@Islington's Communications Department: