Criteria and guidance
How to achieve the Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.Download the full list of award criteria and guidance – including examples of schools who are already transforming their food culture.

Bronze award

Food leadership and school food culture

• Our School Nutrition Action Group has led a review of food culture in our school, and actions have been agreed.
• We monitor school meal take up and we are taking action to maximise the take up of free school meals.
• We consult with our pupils and parents on school meal improvements.
• We keep parents informed of lunch menus and Food for Life Partnership activity and invite them to attend our school lunches.
• We encourage our pupils to suggest improvements to the dining experience and we implement the best ideas.
• Our lunchtime supervisors promote a calm and positive dining experience and help our pupils with food choices.
• We have made a commitment to phase out flight trays.
• Free drinking water is provided for our pupils throughout the school day.

Food quality and provenance (delivered in partnership with our caterer)

• Food on our menu does not contain any undesirable additives or hydrogenated fats.
• We make sure that at least 75% of dishes on our menu are freshly prepared.
• We use meat that is farm assured as a welfare minimum. We use eggs from cage-free hens.
• Our menus are seasonal and we highlight in-season produce.
• Our menus cater well for all dietary needs in the school population.
• Continuous professional development is available to our catering staff, including training in fresh food preparation.
• A member of our catering staff has been encouraged to get involved in food education activities.

Food education

• We use the topic of healthy and sustainable food as a theme for assemblies.
• Our pupils have the opportunity to take part in cooking activities, and this is linked to wider learning.
• Our pupils have the opportunity to grow and harvest food and make compost, and this is linked to wider learning.
• We organise an annual farm visit, and this is linked to wider learning.

Community and partnerships

• We hold an annual event on a food theme for our pupils, parents and the wider community.
• We make efforts to actively engage parents and/or the wider community in our growing and cooking activities.
• We share Food for Life Partnership learning with local schools, the wider community and other partners.