Since Jamie Oliver exposed the horrors of turkey twizzlers eight years ago (watch here) there has been some measurable improvement in school dinners. But there’s still a long way to go. Many school canteens continue to serve unhealthy food and many children go without a proper breakfast. A teacher recently told me she regularly sees children arrive to school with packets of crisps for breakfast. With over a third of year six children in London now overweight or obese – the situation is serious.
Thankfully, some progress is happening. Last week the Founders of Leon, together with a panel of experts and the support of the Secretary of State for Education released their School Food Plan. This plan is practical, well-researched and a positive step towards making some big changes in the food we feed our children – and we should back it.
I was recently invited to Carshalton Boys Sports College who have done an outstanding job in creating a positive food culture across the school. Not only have they had great successes in promoting healthy eating, they are helping children to nurture a deeper appreciation and enjoyment of food. I felt the teachers really grasped how deep our relationship with food can be, not just shaping our health but also our behaviours and relationships.
I was guided around the school by Alan Blount, the Director of Science, a passionate teacher who was 10 minutes late because an experiment had left him covered in cornflour! Here’s some highlights from the tour:
- The School Canteen. The canteen has been designed to be the centre of school life, where teachers and children can sit together in a circle around tables, creating the right atmosphere for socialising and eating together. The flow is smooth, sped up by a cash-less checkout that makes it easy for children to buy their lunch from an account that is topped up by parents.
- A proper breakfast. The school is open for breakfast, enabling children get at least two healthy meals per day. To encourage take-up, the costs are subsidised for children that attend morning homework club.
- Good food. The school invested in hiring a chef that knows how to cook good meals. Head Chef Dave also works hard, with great success, to source local, organic produce. The investment is worth it as take-up from school meals increased from a low of 20% to 80% (the average take up in secondary schools is currently 40%) – making organic purchases viable.
- Food growing. The school grows its own food which is used by the canteen. This makes the students proud and more-connected with their food sources. The Mud Club are a growing club that get involved in after-school growing activities, as well as trips away to stay at farms. The children also look after a flock of hens, selling the eggs to the teachers.
- Cooking lessons: these are compulsory for children up to the age of 14. The schools conducts cooking lessons in a master-chef style, making them more enjoyable. They celebrate experimentation and encourage children to take their cooking skills home. Herbs are planted around and outside the classroom to promote kitchen gardening.
- A pro-active team. Alan introduced me to the chefs, cooking teacher, vice-principle and principle, Simon Barber. It was inspiring to hear their enthusiasm and commitment for providing their pupils with healthy, nutritious food. It’s also good that their efforts have been recognised, through visits from Jamie Oliver and Prince Charles.
We are excited to be inviting pupils from Carshalton Boys Sports College to our Farm to learn more about agriculture in the new term. We are also aiming to supply the canteen for special events and enable students and teachers to take our VegBags home. With partnerships like this, it feels like we’re starting to join together the dots towards a stronger local food system.
Thank you to everyone at Carshalton Boys Sports College for the tour and we hope you can make it to the farm soon.
Written by Sam Smith, Managing Director, Sutton Community Farm