Monks Abbey Primary School

• Bronze

  Food Quality

  • Our menus demonstrate their compliance with national standards or guidelines on food and nutrition.
  • At least 75% of dishes on the menu are freshly prepared (on site or at a local hub kitchen) from unprocessed ingredients.
  • All meat is from farms which satisfy UK animal welfare standards.
  • No fish are served from the Marine Conservation Society ‘fish to avoid’ list.
  • Eggs are from free range hens
  • No undesirable additives or artificial trans fats are used.
  • No genetically modified ingredients are used.
  • Free drinking water is prominently available.
  • Menus are seasonal and in-season produce is highlighted for pupils.
  • Information is on display about food provenance.
  • Menus provide for all dietary and cultural needs.
  • All suppliers have been verified to ensure they apply appropriate food safety standards.
  • Catering staff are supported with skills training and are engaged in food education

  Bronze

  • 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 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.
  • We use the topic of healthy and sustainable food as a theme for assemblies.
  • Our pupils take part in regular cooking activities that meet the Cooking and Nutrition requirements of the Design and Technology programme of study and this is linked to our whole school approach to food.
  • 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.
  • 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 learning with local schools, the wider community and partners.

• Silver

  Food Quality

  • Our school food meets the Silver standards of the Food for Life Served Here, which means we take care that our food is healthy, ethical, and uses local ingredients. We use a minimum of 5% organic ingredients in our menus.

  Silver

  • Our governors have signed off a school food policy with a timetable for action.
  • We give lunchtime a clear priority in our school day, and timetabling clashes are avoided.
  • We ensure take up of school meals by pupils registered for free school meals is greater than or equal to 90% or has increased by 20% points. We are taking action to raise general school meal take up and encourage pupils towards a variety of hot meal options, where appropriate.
  • We have made sure that key teachers or others have skills needed to lead gardening and cooking activities and ensure basic food hygiene.
  • We work with parents to discourage unhealthy snacks or lunch box contents.
  • We invite parents and/or community groups into our school to eat with our pupils.
  • We don’t use flight trays.
  • Our cooking activities aim to build skills and knowledge progressively over key stages 1-3 and incorporate seasonal, local and organic ingredients.
  • We ensure pupils in our garden group and/or a class are growing fruit, vegetables and herbs organically.
  • We have produce from our school growing area at least once a term for pupils to use in cooking activities.
  • Our pupils explore the ethical and environmental issues around food choices and this is linked to changes in our school meals.
  • One or more of our year groups keep in touch with a local farm throughout the year.
  • We organise at least one annual visit to or from a small local food business
  • We hold events to involve parents and/or the wider community in growing and cooking activities.
  • We actively encourage our pupils and their parents to grow and cook their own produce at home.
  • Our pupils share Food for Life learning with local schools, the wider community and other partners.

• Gold

  Food Quality

  • Our school food meets the Gold standards of the Food for Life Catering Mark, which means we take great care that our food is healthy, ethical, uses lots of local ingredients and is animal and climate friendly. We use a minimum of 15% organic and 5% free range ingredients in our menus.

  Gold

  • Our pupils all have the opportunity to sit down to lunch every day.
  • School meals are the norm in our school.
  • We are working with our caterer to reduce and manage food waste.
  • We take a skills-based approach to cooking education that builds on learning year to year. Pupils throughout key stages 1-3 prepare a wide range of foods. We place emphasis on making healthy, nutritious dishes using school-grown, local, seasonal, and organic produce.
  • All our pupils have the opportunity to participate in organic food growing during their time at our school.
  • We actively involve our pupils in planning the food growing calendar and maintaining the growing area using organic practices.
  • Our pupils have the opportunity to take part in a programme of farm-based activities throughout the farming year
  • Our parents and/or the wider community are actively involved in growing and cooking activities in our school.
  • Our parents can buy or collect organic and/or local produce at our school, or we direct them to alternative local outlets.
  • Food and cooking education is available in our school to parents and community members out of school hours.
  • We host regular visits about Food for Life from other schools and stakeholders.

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