Balanced dietThe availability of junk food and the pernicious influences of child-targeted advertising, combined with a general trend for young people to be relatively inactive, is a recipe for disaster. A diminished life-expectancy and reduced quality of life for the unfit young have been predicted by experts, and unless things change, the loss of potential suffered by the nation could affect us all. With autumn's launch of the Government's Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools — detailed guidance on eating, working, playing, travel and leisure — comes renewed support for schools to encourage their communities to focus on health and wellbeing. Many schools have already bitten the healthy-living bullet. Examples of breakfast clubs, bike trains, walking buses, hydration policies and fruity tuck shops can be found all over England. One outstanding example from Milton Keynes is the mid-morning snack time at Moorland First School (where 62 of its 89 pupils are entitled to free school meals), developed three years ago in response to the number of children arriving without having eaten breakfast. Headteacher Margaret Fo explains: "We are about trying to encourage parents to do more things with their children, and to take responsibility for them. I didn't want to open the school at 8am for a breakfast club because I saw that as the parents' responsibility. So we decided to go for a mid-morning snack and make it free for all." Moorland's first step was to research healthy foods that would satisfy those who hadn't eaten breakfast. A range of snacks was chosen: fruit, gingerbread, sandwiches, oatmeal biscuits and cheese and crackers. The children's water intake was ensured by investing in beakers and jugs that can be filled from a water cooler. Next came funding. Two generous gifts from local individuals gave Moorland enough to start up, and regular donations to the fund from parents and grandparents keep snack time going. The routine of snack time was another focus for the school. "We saw it as an opportunity for teaching good manners," Fo says. "Many of our children never actually sit down to eat, other than at the school lunch table, so snack time became a time when everything stops, and children and adults sit down to eat together." The 15-minute snack time straddles the transition from lessons to break. It is used as a good PSHE opportunity for adults and children to talk about things such as healthy food and lifestyle choices. Good manners are observed; children can only start their snack when everyone at the table is ready and they have to wait until the last person is finished before they can go out to play. Snack time has been relatively easy to set up and maintain, mainly due to the shared commitment of the staff. It is not seen as one person's burden. Fo is encouraged by the results. "We have found that the session from after play until lunchtime is much better," she says. "The children are more able to concentrate and are much more alert, so the session is very useful and productive." Moorland also runs an organic gardening club with a long-term plan to grow organic foods for snack time. "This year," says Fo, "the idea was in its infancy, so when our first two strawberries actually ripened we had a discussion in assembly about whether we could split them between everyone. Then I had to go to the local 'pick-your-own' for more, so they could have some each!" In challenging the status quo, schools can both help turn back the tide of obesity and benefit from the positive impact on pupil achievement. Improve physical and mental fitness, and the evidence suggests that brain-power will follow. It's a win-win opportunity too good to miss.
Words: Elizabeth Holmes FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.teachernet.gov.uk/healthyliving This content was published in November 2004 and may not reflect current policy |