School council introduction session
These slides can be utilised / adopted to help
introduce the programme to the school council and
or the school assembly
Note to user
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The following presentation aims to provide you a sample of slides to use for
various meetings such as your council meeting and governor meeting etc.
They includes slides describing what, why and how to implement a SFA
programmes.
Remember the SFA is flexible, schools can choose to do as much or as little
to suit your schools resources and need.
The selection can be added to and or reduced depending on the purpose of
the presentation.
Schools can access training on how to implement the SFA programme by
emailing schoolwellbeing@leeds.gov.uk
alternatively use the free guidance and toolkit available from
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http://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/Pages/The%20school%20food%20ambassador%20programme.aspx
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Warm up activity
What do we like about
food and lunchtimes
at our school?
By the end of today
session we will;
• know about the school food ambassadors programme
• understand how our school can benefit from school food
ambassadors
• have some ideas for how we could elect our school food
ambassadors
What is healthy eating and
why is it important?
ACTIVITY 1:
The eatwell plate activity
What is School Food
Ambassadors?
The aim of the School Food
Ambassador (SFA) is to
champion and monitor
school food and represent
school food improvements.
The ambassadors will be
the voice of school food!
What is School Food
Ambassadors?
• Through the school council, ambassadors will
take the lead on improving school food and
monitoring the school food contract.
• They will also inform the school improvement
plan and support the governor’s role to improve
school food.
We might be able to help
improve school lunchtimes
and school food so more
children eat a school meal
How?
… School Food Ambassadors!
Why do we need SFA
in our school?
• School meals are an important meal of the day and
can give us energy and nutrients to help our bodies
work properly
• Eating a school meal can help us stay healthy and
do better at school
• It’s important that our school meals taste good and
are healthy
How can we improve
school food?
• We can monitor school meals and keep a
record to find out what could be
improved.
• We could look at things like …
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availability
taste
if the food is healthy
if the food meets the national standards*
What will the
ambassadors do?
• Carry out monitoring visits of lunchtimes ‘mystery
diners’
• Compare the menus to what is actually served
• Interview other pupils and staff
• Make sure food meets the mandatory standards
• Make observations about lunchtimes e.g. queuing, food
wastage
• Record findings and share with the school council and
senior leadership
What are the national
government standards?
• All food served in schools must comply with
the mandatory government food and nutrient
standards (www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk)
• The standards are designed to help keep us
healthy
The standards …
The standards should ensure school meals provide …
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more fruit and vegetables
high-quality meat, poultry or oily fish
bread, other cereals and potatoes
access to free water
They help us to eat less unhealthy food such as …
• deep-fried food (e.g. chips)
• fizzy drinks, crisps, chocolate and other confectioneries
removed from school meals
You will work in partnership
with and support the kitchen
and lunch time staff
ACTIVITY 2
My School Food Ambassadors
should be …
How could we elect
our school food
ambassadors?
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Peer nominations followed by a whole school
vote / vote within the council
Self nominations followed by a whole school vote
/ vote within the council
School staff selection – The ambassadors are
chosen by a member of staff
Job application process and interview
How will our school benefit?
 Provide an audit trail for school food improvement
 Monitor compliance against the school food standards
 Support for catering staff
 Inform Ofsted judgements
 Support Healthy Schools activities
 Encourage pupil participation
 Improve relationships between pupils and the catering staff
 Encourage more pupils to eat a school meal
How will the ambassadors
benefit?
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Grow in confidence
Gain new skills
Make new friends
Represent food in school
Rewards and achievements
Make things better for other pupils
Make a difference!
How could we work together
with other schools?
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We could share ideas
We can share experiences
Discuss our findings
Work together
Monitor lunch times in different schools
Support each other!
What else could our food
ambassadors do ...?
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Monitor food at break time or the breakfast club
Encourage others to eat a healthy packed lunch
Encourage healthy snacking
Promote school meals – make posters, leaflets
Speak in assemblies about school food
… and much more!
Final thought …
If you could change one
thing about food or
lunchtimes in your school
what would it be?
Hopefully now we …
• know about the school food ambassadors programme
• understand how our school can benefit from school food
ambassadors
• have a some ideas for how we could elect our school
food ambassadors
Any questions?
Additional slides that can be used by
your school
Leeds Strategic
commitment
• Leeds CC priorities
– Include school meal is in local
improvement plans.
– FSM take is a key performance
indicator.
– Child poverty action plan includes
promoting FSM take up as a key
action to tackle child poverty
– Children and young people plan
– Measure uptake to monitor
improvements using OBA process
What do 99,363 Leeds pupils eat
for school lunch? (2012)
• 27,210: Choose a paid school meal
• 19,170: Entitled to a FSM, of which 4,376
don’t take it everyday
• 57,959: Unknown - either packed lunch, go
home or other
• What can we do to increase free and paid
uptake and improve quality of food brought
from home?
Source: Children’s services financial year
2011-2012 InfoBase D3397
Key research
findings to
barriers to take
up (Leeds 2008 research)…
1. We asked our schools pupils and
parents why do they think children do
not eat a school meal they said:
1.
2.
3.
Barriers to FSM uptake are the same for
pupils can choose to pay for a school meal
Interventions to increase free also increase
paid school meal take-up
Stigma was not a key barrier..
1. Did exist in primary; mostly in high school;
parents concerned based on their experience
perception…
Our students said…
• They are interested in school meals…
• They want to see improvements to quality, choice of food.
• They want improved pupil behaviour supervision,
curriculum structures to give more time for lunch…
• They worry about children who go hungry…
• They are aware poor diet is not good for them…
• They endorsed and want more heads to adopt…
1. The school food ambassador; The Leeds packed lunch policy
2. The FSM toolkit
Source: Data taken from range of student age groups, by using a various research methods
– focus groups, creative arts, questionnaires, surveys etc...
Our parents said…
– Did not feel confident to speak to school
– Do not consider school food offered value for money expensive
– Often not aware of the school offer e.g. the menu
– Concerned about risk of FSM stigma (often own
experience)
– Not sure if food was culturally appropriate / safe for
child.
– Schools don’t restrict packed lunch choices
– Often school runs out of food or the last child does not
get what expected for my money…
Why promote
FSM school meal
• FSM students are often below the
Leeds attainment average, and
data shows they may also be…
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Looked after children
Children with special education needs
Children from some ethnic groups
Children excluded from school
Why promote
access to healthy
school meal?
• Healthy school meals can increase
achievement by up to 8% in Key Stage 2
Science, and reduce absenteeism by 15%.
(M Belot, M James 2009)
• Poor diet impairs learning with immediate
effect on behaviour, concentration and
cognitive ability. (Benton, 2001; A. Sorhaindo, L.
Feinstein, 2006; DCSF, 2007)
Why promote
school meals…
• FSM pupils get a higher % of their daily
nutrients from a school meal, & is often
the only substantial meal of the day.
(Gregory et al 2000; Holdford. A. 2012)
– Families hide food to avoid hunger during nonterm time (Barnardos2 007)
• Impact on readiness to learn start of term (local
observations).
• Only 1% packed lunches meet the
government nutritional standards (Ofsted,
2011; Cade, 2009; Rogers, 2007)
Healthy school meal
Impact of austerity
• Forecast by 2016 relative
child poverty is set to
increase by 400,000 and
absolute poverty by
500,000…
– Impact on the middle income
families..
– Leeds predict 4,000 children
will fall intro poverty
Institute of Fiscal Studies The impact of austerity measures on
households with children January 2012
Malnutrition: Vitamin D
deficiency
• UK Rickets eradicated in the
1940’s:
– 140% increase between 2001 and
2009.
• Attributed to:
Source: N, Clarke 2011
Southampton General Hospital
– reduced exposure to sunlight.
– decrease in dietary intake of
Vitamin D (eggs, milk and fish)
Opportunities ..
The HUB
http://www.thefamilyhubleeds.org/scho
olmeals.html
Leeds CC
http;//www.leeds.gov.uk/schoolmeals
Free resources and guidance documents available
free to all school & academies
Increasing
FSM take-up
Healthier
packed
lunches
Aligned to government food standards
to make all children the same
A Fun game
to learn about healthy school meal
We did some follow up research of
schools who have implemented
the SFA programme: her are the
key findings:
The report is available from
Rosemary.molinari@leeds.gov.uk
How does the SFA work..
• Key stage 2, 3 students apply for post or elected; interviewed by their
peers
• Ambassadors become school food experts, and required to conduct
blind audits on the menu and dining experience by:
– Gathering evidence; speaking to other children, cook
– Making general observations; noise, waste etc..
– Analyse data for report; describe findings, make recommendations, how
they can all help together.
– Feedback; Leadership team commit to respond and link to other structures
e.g. school councils
– Outcome: Action plan informed and taken forward by whole school
What the
ambassadors
have to say…
• “If they show trust in us, and accept the
fact that we can make a difference. “If
students don’t think they get the trust of
the teachers they will not put themselves
forward. If we know we are getting their
support, we are happy to help, and we
are able to pass it on when we leave”.
(Boy 16 yr.)
What the
ambassadors have to
say…(9-10 yrs.)
‘It’s good that we get a say in our school
food.’
“We changed things we don’t like.”
‘I feel proud, and more confident.’
‘I like making the school a better place.’
“I know more people, and I have made more
friends.”
“I like how people look up to you and respect
your role.”
Why pupils
choose to be
ambassadors
“I wanted to play a part in school to make it better”
“Because they will be healthier, and it could help
you to learn better”
“Because it helps you to eat better and healthier”
“Because we help other children and give advice
on healthy eating”
“I want to help others make healthier lunch instead
of lots of chocolate”
What the cook
had to say…
• “I was not happy about it, it was
ridiculous, and that they would be
checking up on me, but as it’s
gone on it’s working pretty well; I
have seen a change of opinion and
the children get more involved.
The audits help flag things up, and
given me a chance to sort things
out.”
A primary
school head
teacher
• “Pupil led school lunches have led to a
direct uptake of free school meals and
improved lunch times for all our children.
The project has had an overwhelming
impact on our afternoon lessons
providing a smoother transition from
dining to learning. The project is simple
and easy to organise with significant
results, just hand it all to the children and
off you go!”
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A Yr. 11 high school
ambassador said…
• “We would like to visit our local primary
schools and present the process to the
children, or have them come to the school
to ‘tell em’ how SFA can make a
difference, and so they know Secondary
school is not as bad as they think, and
they are not the bottom of the food chain –
and their opinions do count”.
The success factors are for…
• Students: Because they feel important, peer kudos, power to make change,
develops listening, talking, thinking skills; educates healthy eating to make
informed choices; builds trust, self-esteem, confidence, make friends and
experience long-term work-life skills; look forward to coming to school and feel
important…
• Catering: Because they feel part of the school; connect with the client;
identify and solve barriers together; establish bespoke school food menu
(maintain standards); increase take-up.
• School Leadership: Because it provides effective contract management; it’s
flexible for local needs; develops staff confidence/leadership skills; promotes
pupil voice; engages pupils in education; can buddy SEN/FSM/LAC/GRT/BME
pupils; improves the quality of food / dining experience; increases take up; reinvest profit; engage parents; self perpetuating; promotes FSM take up;
promotes attendance & pupil premium awards
• LCC: Because it helps tackle child poverty, obesity with measurable outcomes
with performance accountability; demonstrates a child friendly city
Project lead
officer
“It gave me a sense of pride to see
things working and taking effect: you
feel oh wow - we really are getting
somewhere here”.
‘Things have changed for the better
by everyone and it has helped
children to learn about policy and
campaigning for change”.
General slides …..
This LOGO was developed by harehills ambasadors
to inform government The All Party Parliament Group
for school food – the pupil said….
“You really need to stop
and listen to us; we are
the voice of the pupils
and we know what we
want, we know it is
hard work, but this is
what we want.”
LOGO created by Christina Xaviour – Yr. 6 student from Leeds
Harehills primary School (2012)
• This free guide has been
created and designed to
enable schools to read
and implement.
• If you would like help,
support or training on how to
set up a food ambassadors
• programme email go to
schoolwellbeing@leeds.gov.
uk
A summary illustration of the three phases of developing the Leeds
school meal strategy and action plan; underpinned by research to
inform the many school meal resources & toolkits to improve school
food and support local priorities.
Phase 1: Gathering data:
Commissioning research and
public consultations
investigating barriers; inform
pilots & create practical
toolkits.
• Step 1 Raising
awareness: Informing
and supporting local
improvement health
plans.
Phase 2: Policy: Utilising
findings to influence LA policy,
to reduce child / food poverty,
obesity and improve learning
outcomes.
• Step 2. Influencing
Attitudes: Heads, Cllrs,
strategic boards
discretion to include
school meal take-up as
performance indicator.
Phase 3: Fostering
partnerships: Promoting a
shared ownership &
responsibility in schools,
communities.
• Step 3. Changing
Behaviour: Adopting OBA
and restorative practice
principles & developing
capacity beyond school
gate .
Message from Rosemary Molinari the creator of SFA:
‘We have a duty of care to provide our children the
opportunity, skills and knowledge to make an informed
decision about the choices they make about their school
meal. Especially how it can help improve learning outcomes.
The ambassador programme provides this opportunity and
enables them to take the lead on improving access to a
healthy school meal on behalf of the whole school’.
• Thank you