Healthier breaks

Contents

Introduction 3

Benefitsahealthierbreaksscheme 3

Whatisahealthybreak? 4

Stepbystepplan 5

Healthiertuckshopchecklist 19

Integratingwithotherschoolfoodprojects 20

Curriculumlinks 21

References 22

Sourcesoffurtherinformation 24

Introduction

Thishealthierbreaksguidanceisintendedtohelp

schoolsexamineandimprovethetypeoffoodand

drinkstheyofferatbreaktime.Itwillhelpschoolsto

lookatthepracticalissuessurroundingtheprovision

ofhealthierbreaks.

Asurveyofchildren’seatinghabitshasshownthat

only11%ofchildrenaged5–17yearsconsumed

therecommendedfiveormoreportionsoffruitand

vegetablesperday,with20%noteatinganyfruitor

vegetablesonaregularbasis.Yetalmosthalf(47%)

reportedeatingconfectioneryatleastonceaday.1

Inlightofthis,manyindividualschoolsarenow

encouragingfruit,vegetables,milkandwateras

nutritioussnacksanddrinks.Particularlyinprimary

schools,healthierbreakspoliciesaresupportedby

localcommunitydentalteamsanddietitians.

Oneregionalinitiative,theFreshFruitinSchools

pilotscheme,providedapieceoffruitperdayto

childreninPrimary1and2withtheobjectiveof

raisingawarenessofthebenefitsofeatingfruitfrom

anearlyage.Overhalfofthechildren(54%)were

eatingmorefruitattheendoftheschemethan

beforeitbegan.2

Thehealthierbreaksinitiativesyourschooltakesare

likelytomakearealdifferencetochildren’shealth.

3

Ahealthierbreaksschemecan:

• encouragechildrentoachievethe

recommendedfiveadaytargetfor

fruitandvegetables;

• fosterhealthiereatinganddrinking

habits;

• providepupilswithausefulsource

ofenergyandrefreshmentduring

thebusyschoolday;

• generateasmallincomeforthe

schoolorcaterer;

• increasethevarietyofhealthier

foodanddrinksavailable;

• helpkeeppupilsonsiteduring

breaktime;

• showparentsandthelocal

communitythatyourschooltakes

thehealthofitspupilsseriously.

Benefits of a healthier breaks scheme

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What is a healthier break?

Breaktimeisaperiodinwhichpupilshavetheopportunitytobuy

fromafoodanddrinksselectionthatprovidesessentialnutrition

andrefreshmentinanenvironmentthatencourageshealthiereating

anddrinkinghabits.

Healthierbreaksareusuallyunderpinnedbyhealthierbreaks

policies,arrivedatthroughawholeschoolapproach.Schools

thatimplementhealthierbreakshavethesupportoftheboardof

governors,seniorschoolmanagementteam,teachers,pupilsand

parents.Localcommunitydentalteamsandcommunitydietetic

departmentsarealsofrequentlyinvolvedinprovidingsupportfor

creatinghealthierbreakpolicies.Theycanprovideadvice,useful

informationandguidance,includingappropriateletterstoparents

informingthemofthehealthyeatingchanges.

Yourschoolmaywishtointroduceapolicyonfoodanddrinksat

breaktimeormodifyanexistingone.Thestepbystepsectionin

thisbookletshowsausefulwayforward.Youwillfinddetailsof

yourlocalcommunitydentistsanddietitiansintheUseful contacts

bookletofSchool food: the essential guide.

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Step-by-step plan

1. Getting started

Ausefulstartingpointwouldbetoreviewyourexistingwholeschoolfoodpolicyordevelop

onebyconductinganauditoftheschool’scurrentprovision(seebooklettwo:Establishing

a whole school food policy).Involvethewholeschoolcommunity,pupils,parents,teachers,

caterers,governors,healthprofessionals,perhapsthroughaschoolcouncilorschoolnutrition

actiongroup(SNAG).

Workingwithpartnersinthelocalcommunitywillalsoensurethattheschoolhassupportto

achieveitsaimsandcanhelpwithsuggestionsforahealthierbreak.Youcouldcontactyour

localcommunitydieteticdepartment,communitydentalteamorschoolnurse.Byincorporating

ahealthierbreaksorbreaktimepolicyintoyourwholeschoolfoodpolicy,youwillensurethat

itislinkedtootherhealthinitiativesatschool.Itwillprovideconsistentinformationonhealthier

foodanddrinkchoices,andbecomepartofyourschool’sdevelopmentplan.Itwillalsoensure

thatthehealthierbreakisnotseeninisolation,butaspartofawholeschoolapproachtofood

anddrinksprovisionthroughouttheday.

Akeenandenthusiastichealthierbreakplanninggroup,madeupfrommembersofthe

schoolcommunity,isanecessarypartofsettingupandkeepingitgoing.Itisimportantto

haveanamedpersonleadingtheproject,sothatsomeonehasultimateresponsibility.Senior

managementsupportandinvolvementwillensureitssuccess.Inaddition,havingyourcaterers

onboardisessential,especiallyinpost-primaryschools.

Case study

Atalargeprimaryschool,wherenofoodhadbeensoldatbreaktime,ahealthierfruittuckshophas

nowbeenestablished.Everypieceoffruitissoldforasmallamountofmoney,whichiscollected

everytermfrompupils.Theschoolusesalocalwholesalertosupplythefruitandateaching

assistantwashesandpreparesthefruiteveryday.Primary4and5pupilshelptodistributethe

fruittotheotherpupils.Binshavebeenprovidedinthemainhallandplaygroundforlitter.

Step by step plan

Assess demand

Beforeimplementingahealthierbreakschemeorstartingahealthiertuckshop,assessdemand

fromtheschoolcommunity.Asimplesurveytoassessviewscouldbeundertaken,perhapsby

pupils.Thiscouldbeachievedatanassembly,parents’eveningorviatheschoolnewsletter.

Theresultswillhelpprovideinformationonwhetherpupilsandparentswantchangestobreak

time.

Changing your current break time

Howyouimplementahealthierbreakwilldependontheschoolandthefacilitiesavailable.

Someschoolswillintroduceabreaktimepolicythatwillonlyallowhealthyfoodsanddrinksto

bebroughtinfromhome.Otherschoolswillprovideahealthierbreakorhaveahealthiertuck

shop.Whatevertheapproach,itwillneedthesupportofparentsandpupils,andwillneedto

bemonitoredbytheschool.Localcommunitydietitiansandcommunitydentalteamswillgive

youguidanceandhelponthis.Agoodtimetoimplementanewbreaktimepolicyorintroduce

ahealthierbreakschemeisatthestartoftheschoolyearinSeptemberoratthebeginningof

aterm.Someschoolsmaytakeaphasedapproachandintroducehealthierbreakdayswithin

theweektomonitorresponsefromparentsandpupils,orstartwithoneortwoclassesinitially

beforeincludingthewholeschool.Findanapproachthatsuitsyourschoolandbuildonyour

successfromthere.

Ifyouplantochangewhatisprovidedatbreaktime,orimplementguidanceonwhatfoodand

drinkscanbebroughtintoschoolatbreaktime,youmaymeetsomeresistance.Itisimportant

thattheschoolcommunityisconsultedearly,withaclearexplanationofwhattheschoolis

tryingtoachieve.

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Ifaschooldecidestoimplementahealthierbreak,eitherthroughapolicyonwhatcanbe

broughttoschoolorthroughatuckshop,thefollowingguidancewillhelpyougetstarted.

Themainwaysofmanaginghealthierbreaksinschoolsarethroughfoodanddrinksbroughtin

fromhome,throughaservicerunbythecaterer,oronerunbytheschool,iestaff,pupilsand

volunteers.

Attheoutset,youwillneedtodecidewhatmethodbestsuitsyourschool.Allfoodanddrinks

providedforsalewithinaschoolmustmeetthestandardsaspublishedintheNutritional

standards for other food and drinks in schools.3

Brought to school

Schoolscanimplementahealthierbreakpolicyorinitiativewhichgivesclearguidanceonwhat

snacksanddrinkscanbebroughtinbypupils.

Caterer

Aschoolcaterercanrunahealthiertuckshoporbreaktimeserviceonyourbehalf.The

advantageofthisisthatcateringstaffwillorder,prepare,serveandclearup.Discussand

agreeissuesrelatingtopricing,typeandvarietyoffoodanddrinkstobesold.

School

Ifthebreaktimeserviceisnotrunbyacaterer,itisagoodideatomakeonepersonresponsible

overall,ideallyanadult.Itisrecommendedthattheadulthastraininginbasicfoodhygiene.

PleaserefertotheUseful contactsbookletfordetailsofyourlocalenvironmentalhealth

department,whichwillbeabletoprovideyouwithguidanceandadviceonfoodsafetymatters

andfoodhygienetraining.

Thekeytoasuccessfulhealthierbreaktimeistofindwillingvolunteerstoorganiseitsday-

to-dayrunning,egordering,preparation,serviceandclearingup.Trytohavealistofstandby

volunteersincaseoneoftheregularsdropsout.Developarotatosharetheworkandmake

sureanyproceduresarewelldocumentedincaseyourmainvolunteerisunavailable.

2. Setting up a healthier break time

Step by step plan

Pupil volunteers

Inaddition,pupilscanbenefitfrombecomingvolunteersinhelpingtorunahealthierbreak,

egincreasedself-esteemandconfidence.Manyschoolshavearotaofpupilswhohelpoutand

somehealthiertuckshopsarerunalmostentirelybypupils.

Financial considerations

Iftheschoolprovidesthefoodanddrinks,youwillneedtodecidewhetheryouwanttomake

asmallprofit.Remember,ifyouchargetoomuchyoumaydeterpotentialcustomersand

disadvantagepupilsfromlowerincomefamilies.Thiswillaffectyourpricingpolicy.Evenifyou

arenotintendingtomakeaprofit,youwillneedtosellyourbreakalittleabovecostpricetoallow

forwastage.Ifyoudomakeaprofit,youwillhavetodecidewhattodowiththeextramoney.

Youmaywanttofundotherhealthyeatingprojects,purchasesportsequipmentorotherresources,

egbooks.Thistypeofdecisionisbestmadebyaskingtheschoolcommunityforitsideas.

Checkthattheschool’spublicliabilityinsuranceisinplaceandthatitcoversyourscheme.

Checkspecificallywiththeeducationandlibraryboardinsuranceofficerortheinsurertomake

sureyouarecovered.

Case study

Atabusyprimaryschool,theprincipalalongwithsupportfromtheparentsandpupilsintroduceda

healthierbreakspolicywhichgaveparentsandpupilsspecificguidelinesonwhatsnacksand

drinkscouldbebroughtin.Theycontactedtheirlocalcommunitydieteticdepartmentandcommunity

dentalteamwhosupportedtheschoolwitharangeofactivitiesandinformationsessionsfor

parentsandpupils.Allthechildrennowbringinapieceoffruitandmilkorwatertodrink.

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Thereareanumberofwaysofattracting

volunteersincluding:

• noticesintheschoolnewsletter;

• askingforhelpinschoolassemblies,

parents’eveningsandparentteachers

associationmeetings;

• offeringfoodhygienetrainingasan

incentive;

• offeringafreebreakitemforeachvolunteer.

Checktheeducationandlibraryboard’s

policyonwhocanworkwithchildrenin

school;thismayinvolvepolicechecks.

Usually,volunteersinclude:

• parents;

• grandparents;

• teachers;

• classroomassistants;

• schoolnurse.

Nosinglefoodcanprovidealltheessentialnutrients,whichiswhyitisimportanttoeatawide

rangeoffoods.

Thechoiceofwhattosellshouldbedecidedbytheschool,preferablythroughtheschool

councilorSNAG,orafterconsultationwiththeschoolcommunity,egcommunitydentalteam.

AllfoodanddrinkprovidedforsalemustmeettheDepartmentofEducation’snutritional

standardsforotherfoodanddrinksinschools.

Makesureyouconsideranypossiblefoodallergensoranychildrenwhowouldhaveafood

allergysuchasnuts.Forfurtherinformationgotowww.eatwell.gov.uk

Overcoming barriers

Inpractice,demand,costandnutritionalcontentarethemaindeterminantsofwhatissoldin

schools.Ensurethatfoodanddrinksonofferarevariedandappealing,andarepromotedand

marketedcompetitively.Involvingpupilsandensuringthatthehealthierbreakispartofawhole

schoolapproachwillsupportthis.TheDepartmentofEducation’snutritionalstandardsforother

foodanddrinksinschoolssupporthealthierbreaks,eg,nocrisps,sweets,chocolateorfizzy,

sugarydrinkscanbesoldinschools.

Ahealthierbreaktimeshouldreflecthealthyeatinganddrinkingmessagesbyofferingawide

rangeoffoodsthatcomplementotherfoodseatenthroughoutthewholeschoolday,egapiece

offruitisagoodchoiceforsomeonewhohaseatencerealandsemi-skimmedmilk.Theeatwell

platewillhelpyouchoosefoodsthatwillrepresenteachfoodgroup(finditatwww.eatwell.gov.

uk).Thevarietyoffoodsonofferwillreinforcetheimportanceofvarietyinthedietandshould

belowinfat,sugarandsalt.Tryto:

• varythetypeoffoodanddrinkavailabletopromotebalanceandvariety;

• establishthemeorspecialeventdays,offeringdifferentorunusualfoods;

• considercompetitivepricingondifferentfoods,egfruitpotsoryogurts.

Asaschoolyouwillneedtodiscusswhatisbestforyou.Findoutwhattheschoolcommunitywould

liketoseeavailable.FoodanddrinksprovidedcouldbediscussedattheschoolcouncilorSNAG.

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3. Deciding what to provide

Step by step plan

Examples of healthier breaks

*Someofthefoodsanddrinksonoffermaynotmeetthecriteriaforsomeofthehealthybreakawardschemes.Checkwithyourlocalcommunitydentalteamtomakesurethattheycomply.

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Drinks Fruit and vegetables Today’s special

Water

Milk(semi-skimmed)

*Unsweetened fruit juice

*Fruit smoothie

*Milkshakes(lessthan5%addedsugar)

Banana

Clementine

Pear

Carrot stick pot

Cherry tomato pot

Fruit pots

Fresh fruit of the day

Plain or wholemeal scone

Filled rolls, sandwiches and baguettes

Breadsticks and cheese

*Yogurt/fromage frais

Weetabix or Cornflakes with milk

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Ifyourschoolrunsahealthiertuckshop,whereyousiteitwilldependonwhomanagesit.If

thetuckshopisrunbytheschoolcaterer,thenthediningroomwouldbethemostappropriate

place.However,ifitisrunbyschoolstafforvolunteers,findaplacewhichissafeforpupilsand

workers,preferablywithappropriatestoragefacilities.

Asmosttuckshopsoperateinthesameplaceeachday,itisimportantforittobesitedclose

tostorageandpreparationareas,andtobeeasilyaccessibletothepupils.Inmanycases,your

tuckshopmaysimplybeatableortrolleyplacedinaconvenientlocation–somewherewhere

thereisadequateroomforqueuingandwhereitwillnotcauseanobstruction,egtofireexits.

Thevenueforthehealthiertuckshopshouldbewarmandwelcoming.Thereareanumberof

waysyoucanachievethis,suchas:

• usingbrightlycolouredplastictablecloths;

• displayingitemsinwickerbasketsorcolouredbowls;

• havingmusicplayinginthebackground;

• displayinginterestingandinformativeposters.

Someschoolschoosetohaveamobiletuckshoponatrolleywhichcanbewheeledaround

eachclassroominturnatbreaktime.Thishastheadvantageofbeingabletobewheeled

outsidewhentheweatherisgood.Otherschoolsprovidethebreakintheclassroom.Thiscan

beuseful,especiallyforyoungerchildren.

Equipment

Facilitiesandequipmentwilldependonthetypesoffoodanddrinksyouchoosetosellinyour

healthiertuckshop.Itisimportantthateverythingmeetswiththeappropriatehealthandsafety

andfoodsafetyrequirements.Contactyourlocalenvironmentalhealthdepartmentorschool

healthandsafetyrepresentativeforadviceandsupport.

4. Where to place your healthier tuck shop

Step by step plan

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Usefulequipmentincludes:

Storage

Ideallyyourstorageareashouldbeclosetothepreparationareaandhealthiertuckshopsite.

Keepdrygoodsinacool,dryareaorcupboard.Ifchilledandperishableitemsareprovided,

egyogurtsandsmoothies,youwillneedafridge.Manyschoolsstoretheirsuppliesinthe

schoolkitchen(withpermission),andhaveacupboardorshelfclearlymarkedfortheuseofthe

healthiertuckshop.Otherschoolskeepsuppliesinthestaffroomorinclassrooms,oftenona

trolleyforeasytransport.Ifyouaresellingfruitandvegetablesyouneedto:

• storeinacoolplace,preferablyofftheground;

• discardanydamageditemsondelivery;

• removeanyplasticwrappingsbeforestorageastheyencouragethegrowthofmoulds;

• rememberthatbananasripenquickerinthedarkandcauseotherfruittoripenmorequickly

whenplacedbesidethem;

• rememberthatcertainfruitswillneedtobewashed,egstrawberries,grapesand

cherriesandanyotherfruitwhereskinistobekeptonsuchaspearsandapples.

• aprons

• choppingboard

• knives

• scissors

• papertowelsornapkins

• paperbags

• kettle

• plasticcups

• tinformoney

• blender

• refrigerator

• toaster

• handwashingfacilities–washbasin

withhotandcoldwaterormixedata

suitabletemperature,soapandhand

dryingfacilities

• sinkwithhotandcoldwaterormixedat

asuitabletemperature.

Ifyourtuckshoporbreaktimeserviceisrunbytheschoolcaterer,thenthemanagementof

purchasingandpreparingthefoodandthefinancialpaperworkwillbedealtwithbythem.

However,ifitisrunbyschoolstafforvolunteers,youwillneedtoconsidertheseissues.

Purchasing

Thereareanumberofdifferentoptionstoconsiderwhenthinkingaboutwheretoorder

suppliesforyourhealthiertuckshop.

• Insomeschools,theschoolcaterer’ssuppliermayagreetosellitemstotheschoolatthe

samerates,savingyoutimeandmoney.

• Byusingthelocalgreengroceryouwillbeabletostrikeupagoodrelationshiptoallowbetter

dealsinthefuture.Produceisusuallyofgoodqualityandyoumaybeabletoarrangedelivery

andpurchaseoflocalfruitandvegetables,sotakingadvantageofbuyingproductsinseason.

• Localsupermarketsareoftenkeentoworkwiththelocalcommunity,andmanyofthebig

namesmayhavelinkswithlocalschoolsalready.Supermarketshaveawiderangeof

products,usuallyofgoodqualityandatreasonableprices.Manysupermarketsprovidea

deliveryservice.

• Ifusingready-to-eatfoodssuchassandwichesanddairyproducts,ensuretheyarefrom

areputablesupplierandaredatecoded.Storagewillneedtobeconsideredandahazard

analysisandcriticalcontrolpointformmayneedtobecompletedforfoodsafety

management.Yourlocalenvironmentalhealthofficerwouldbeabletoadviseyourschoolon

thisissue.

• Marketstallpricestendtobelower,althoughthequalityofproducemayvary.Youwilleasily

beabletogetproductsthatareinseason.Deliverymaybepossible,butifnotyouwillhave

toarrangeforsomeonetogoshopping,possiblyquiteearlyinthemorningtogetthebest

choice.Thismaycauseproblemsintermsoftransportation,especiallyifbuyinglarge

quantitiesoffruitorvegetables.

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5. Running your healthier tuck shop

Step by step plan

• Localgrowers,producersorfarmshopswillprovideseasonalproducewhichisrelatively

cheapandmightbedeliveredtoyouiftheschoolisnearbyoronadeliveryroute.Some

producerswillalsovisittheschooltospeakatassembliesortodelivertastersessionsand

somewillbehappyforchildrentovisittheirfarmororchard.

• Discountwholesalersareusefulforlowcostbulkbuying,butremembertoconsiderhow

muchstoragespaceyouhave.Thinkaboutteamingupwithotherschoolssothatyoucan

shareouttheproducts–andthecost.

Youmay,ofcourse,decidetogetyoursuppliesfrommorethanoneplace.Thiswillincrease

yourworkload,butyoumaybeabletogetbetterdealsbydoingso.Whicheversupplier

youchoose,remembertothinkaboutbackupshouldyourusualsupplierletyoudown.Also

rememberthatifyougetyoursuppliesdelivered,someonewillhavetobearoundtoreceivethem.

Food preparation

Considerhowlongitwilltakeyoutosetupshopatyourchosenvenue,aswellasthetime

neededtopreparethefoodanddrink,egwashandchopfruitsandvegetables,makesandwiches.

Youmaybeabletopreparethingsintheschoolkitchen.Alternatively,coveratablewithaclean

plasticcloth,spraywithadetergentsanitiserandthenwipebeforeandafteruse.Youwillalso

needtheuseofasinkforwashingyourhands,andaseparateoneforwashinganyfruitor

vegetablesandwashingutensilsandequipment.

Financial considerations

Itisimportanttokeeprecordsofmoneytakenandspentonsupplies,andthatthisischecked

atleastonaweeklybasis.Pupilscouldbeinvolvedinthisprocess,withadultsupervision.

Encouragingpupilstobeinvolvedinthisgivesthemachancetoimprovetheirnumeracyand

ICTskills,egcollectingdataonMicrosoftExcelcharts.

Inpost-primaryschoolsthereshouldbenoproblemwithpupilsbringingmoneyintoschool

touseatbreaktime.However,asmallnumberofprimaryschoolsreportthatthismaybean

issuewithyoungerchildren.Manyschoolshavegotaroundthisproblembycollectingmoney

daily,weeklyorevenhalftermlyfromchildren,andinsomecasesissuingvoucherswhichcan

beswappedforitemsatthehealthiertuckshop.Inpractice,thiswillonlyworkifthingsare

similarlypriced(asetprice)andifyouhavesomeonewhoiswillingtocollectthemoney,

egteacher,officestafforparent.

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Reducing and managing wastage

Factors,suchasthesizeofyourschool,storagefacilitiesandthenumberofcustomersyou

expect,makemanagingstockaveryindividualmatter.Ifyouhavepromotedandadvertised

yourhealthiertuckshopwellbeforehand,youcanexpectahighlevelofinterestinthefirstfew

weeks.Afterthis,customernumbersusuallydropslightly.Ingeneralitisbettertounderorder

atfirst,butdohaveabackupplanifsalesaremuchhigherthanexpected,egdiscussextra

deliverieswithyoursupplier.Mostschoolsestimatetheirneedsveryquicklyafterestablishing

theirhealthiertuckshop.Whetheryoudecidetoshoporreceivedeliveriesdaily,weeklyoron

demandisuptoyou.However,thereareanumberofgeneralissuestoconsider.

• Trytogoshoppingorarrangefordeliveriesatthestartoftheweek.

• Rundownyourstocksbeforeschoolholidays.

• Keeprecordsofwhatyouselltomakeiteasiertojudgeyourorderingneedsinthefuture.

• Thinkaboutbuyingsomeproductswrappedinindividualportions,whichwillreduce

wastagebutmaycostmoreinitially.

• Anticipatethattheremaybeseasonalvariationinthedemandforcertainproducts.

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Step by step plan

Queuing

Queuingcanbeanissueifyourhealthiertuckshopisverypopular.However,afewwaysin

whichthisproblemcanbemanagedinclude:

Litter

Toreducelitter,manyschoolshavereplacedahealthiertuckshopsellingpre-packageditems

withunpackagedfruitandvegetables.However,itisessentialtoensurethatthereareadequate

binsavailableforwaste.Someschoolshaveintroducedspecialbinstoallowforrecyclingand

composting.Incoastalregionsparticularly,therehavebeenproblemswithseagullsscavenging

forfoodintheplayground.Ifthisisanissueinyourareayoushouldconsideranindoorsitefor

yourhealthiertuckshopandprovidehard,coveredbinsintheplaygroundforwaste.

• makingsureyouhaveeverythingready

beforeyouopen,egfruitchoppedup,

sandwichesmade;

• havingmorethanonequeue,ifpossible,

toenableyoutoservemorepeoplein

thesameamountoftime;

• consideringdifferentbreaktimesfor

classes;

• havingalistofitemsavailableand

pricesclearlydisplayedwherepupils

queuesothattheymakeuptheirminds

andhavethemoneyreadybythetime

theyreachthefrontofthequeue;

• makingyourhealthiertuckshopmobile

–manysmallerschoolshaveatrolley

thatvisitsthedifferentclassroomsbefore

break.

Toencouragepeopletousethehealthiertuckshopyoucould:

• writeregulararticlesfortheschoolnewsletter,andpromotethehealthiertuckshopatschool

councilmeetings,schoolassemblieswithparents;

• displaypostersdesignedbypupilspromotingthehealthiertuckshoparoundtheschool;

• presentthehealthiertuckshopattractively,investinafewbrightlycolouredbowlsorbaskets

andarrangeitemsneatlyonyourtableortrolley;

• makethepricesofitemsobviousandconsidermakinghealthierproductssuchasfruit

cheaperandmorecompetitive;

• startupaloyaltycardscheme,egforeveryfourpiecesoffruitbought,afreepieceisoffered;

• encouragevisitorstotheschooltovisitthehealthiertuckshop;

• introducenewproductsroutinely–getideasfrompupilsaboutthetypesofhealthieritems

theywouldliketoseeavailableintheirhealthiertuckshop;

• linkandpromotewithothereventsifpossible,egharvestfestival,ChineseNewYear,Food

FirstMonth,NationalAppleDay,SmileWeek,NationalSchoolMilkDay;

• includespecialoffers,especiallyifyouareintroducinganewproduct;

• offerpupilsthechancetotasteneworunfamiliarproductsbeforetheybuy;

• promotetheuseofseasonalorlocalfruitandvegetables(orotherfoodproductsinyourarea);

• publicisethehealthiertuckshopinyourschoolprospectusandwebsite.

6. Promoting your healthier tuck shop

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Itisimportanttoreviewandmonitoryourhealthiertuckshoptoevaluateitsimpact.

Forexample,youcould:

• keepnotesfromplanninggroupmeetings;

• recordnumbersofpeopleusingthehealthiertuckshop;

• calculatethemoneytakenandprofitmade;

• notethetypeandamountofproducesoldtoidentifybestsellers;

• assesstheattitudesofpupils,staffandparentstowardsthehealthiertuckshop.Thiscan

bedonebycarryingoutasimplesurveydesignedandadministeredbythepupilsaspartof

classroomactivities,egmathematicsandliteracy,homeeconomics,personaldevelopment

andmutualunderstanding;

• recordmistakesmadeandlessonslearnedalongtheway;

• monitoranychangesinthefoodanddrinkchoicesofpupils,egatlunchtime;

• noteimprovementsintheschoolenvironment,pupilbehaviourandschoolattendancerates.

7. Evaluating success

Step by step plan

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Istheredemandforahealthiertuckshop?

Haveyouidentifiedthebenefitsofahealthiertuckshopforyourschool?

Areyouclearaboutwhatyouwanttoachieve?

Haveyouinvolvedtheschoolcouncil,SNAGorpupils?

Haveyouidentifiedsourcesoffunding?

Haveyouidentifiedasuitablevenueforyourhealthiertuckshop?

Haveyouidentifiedadequatestorageandpreparationareas?

Haveyoucontactedthelocalenvironmentalhealthdepartmentforadviceonregistration,

foodsafetyandhygienetraining?

Isallthenecessaryequipmentavailable?

Hasalistofwhowillrunyourhealthiertuckshop(egcanteenstafforvolunteers)been

drawnup?

Havehealthandsafetyissuesbeenaddressed?

Haveyouidentifiedanypupilswithallergies?

Haveyoudecidedwhichfoodanddrinkoptionstooffer?

Haveyouidentifiedsuppliers?

Haveyouplannedastrategytopromoteyourhealthiertuckshop?

Haveyouplannedhowyouwillmonitorandevaluatetheimpactofyourhealthiertuckshop?

Healthier tuck shop checklist

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Therearemanynaturallinksthatcanbemadetootherschoolfoodprojects,dependingonyour

school.Linkstohealthierbreakschemescouldinclude:

• Ensuringthatthebreakfastmenuandhealthierbreaksschemeofferagoodrangeand

balanceofitemsratherthansupplyingthesamefoods,andthattheyreinforcehealthier

eatinganddrinkingmessages.Youmightusesurplusfruitforsmoothies.

• Creatingopportunitiesfordevelopingcompostfromleftoverwaste.

• Usingposterstopromotehealthiereatingmessagesifthehealthierbreaksschemeisheld

inthediningroom.

Integrating with other school food projects

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Curriculum links

Healthierbreaksschemesprovideacontextforawidevarietyofcurriculumlinks.

Primary

The arts

Art and design–pupilscanlookandtalkabouttheuseoffoodinartordesignanddisplaya

pieceofhealthyfoodrelatedartwork.

Personal development and mutual understanding

Individualsandgroupscantakeandshareresponsibilityfororderingsupplies,makingsales

andkeepingfinancialrecordsofincomeandexpenditure.Theywillmakerealchoices.Thiswill

helpthemtodevelopself-esteem.

Mathematics and numeracy

Pupilscanconductasimplesurveytoidentifythebestsellingoptions,salesdatacanbe

recordedandanalysedusingMicrosoftExcel.Wastageratescanbemonitoredoravolunteer

rotacanbesetup.

Post-primary

Learning for life and work

Home economics – pupilscaninterviewtuckshopcustomerstocanvasstheirviewson

thefoodanddrinkoptionsprovided,andsuggestionsforbroadeningtherangeofhealthier

optionsonoffer.Thesuggestionscouldbeimplementedforcustomersandthenevaluatedand

commentsfedback.

Mathematics and numeracy

Groupsofpupilscantakeresponsibilityforrunningthehealthiertuckshop,including

correlatingitsimpactonschoolattendancerates,andprojectinglikelysalesfiguresovera

schoolterm.

Forfurtheradviceandsuggestions,goto:

www.ccea.org.uk

www.nicurriculum.org.uk

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References1. HealthPromotionAgencyforNorthernIreland.Eatingforhealth?Asurveyofeatinghabits

amongchildrenandyoungpeopleinNorthernIreland.Belfast:HPA,2001.

2. HealthPromotionAgencyforNorthernIreland.Freshfruitinschoolsevaluation2002–

2004:summaryreport.Belfast:HPA,2005.

3. DepartmentofEducation.Nutritionalstandardsforotherfoodanddrinksinschools.

Belfast:HPA,2009.

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Sources of further information

Thefollowinglistprovideslinkstofurther

resourcesandinformationthatmaysupport

youindevelopingyourhealthierbreaksscheme.

Department of Education

www.deni.gov.uk

Providesdetailedinformationonnutritional

standardsforotherfoodanddrinksin

schools.

Food Standards Agency

www.food.gov.uk

ThedocumentFruit tuck shops in

primary schools – a practical guide to

planning and running a school fruit tuck

shopisavailableonthiswebsite.

The Comic Company

www.comiccompany.co.uk

Providespopularillustratedhealth

informationresourcesinprintandonthe

internet,includingactivitybooks,posters,

bookletsandstickers.Manyoftheresources

arespecificallytargetedatschoolchildren.

Sustain

www.sustainweb.org

Providestoptipsandpracticaladviceon

settinguparangeofactivitiesthat

promotefruitandvegetables,suchas

growingschemes,fruittuckshopsand

breakfastclubsinschools.

NHS 5 a day site

www.5aday.nhs.uk

Toptipsforeatingmorefruitand

vegetables.Thissitehasaseparate

sectionforschoolswhichprovidesmore

informationandmaterialsforwhole

schoolactivitiesandlinkstothe

curriculuminEnglishschools.

The School Milk project

www.schoolmilk.co.uk

Thissitehasusefulinformationon

promotingmilkinschools,includinga

relevantresourcesection.

ThisresourcewasoriginallydevelopedandproducedbytheHealthPromotionAgencyforNorthernIrelandaspartoftheSchoolfood:topmarksprogramme.ItwasjointlyfundedbytheDepartmentofEducationandtheDepartmentofHeath,SocialServicesandPublicSafety.