1 Mar 2007 - NSC PRIMARY GAINS HEALTHY SCHOOL ACCREDITATION
I have always been impressed by the level of health and fitness displayed by the children at our school and every year we work hard to try to make things even better. It is rewarding therefore that our efforts have been acknowledged and that last month we were officially recognised as one of Devon?s Healthy Schools.
To gain accreditation the school had to meet over 100 demanding standards as regards the education and well being of our children; we had to evidence the good practice that is taking place, both within and outside the classroom, and prove that we do everything we can to provide our children with the best possible start in life.
It has been four years since we first became a Healthy Eating School, with healthier options on the school dinner menus and a ban on crisps and chocolate in packed lunch boxes and at snack time. Since then, children have enjoyed trying out all the different alternatives, with dried and fresh fruits, and pasta salads being amongst their favourites! Parents have been fantastic in taking up the challenge to find healthier options for their children's treats and it is really appreciated by the young consumers! We have also seen a great improvement in the quality of food offered by the school meals service ? as one of the early providers of the ?Fresh Start? menu we have seen the uptake in school meals rise consistently over the years and the efforts of our school cook Dawn, and her assistant Louise, are much appreciated.
Another improvement has been the introduction of the daily fresh fruit and vegetables scheme, which is free for all of our younger children and sold at cost to the children in Key Stage Two. It is really encouraging to see many more children willing to try a variety of healthy snacks now, and also to note the increased popularity of pure chilled water as the drink of choice to quench the thirst!
To complement such healthy diets, we are turning our attention to encouraging even more exercise this year, both within the curriculum and through optional clubs. Since the start of the New Year the Staff have initiated a challenging new venture ? cross country running! Consequently, every Wednesday, children, teachers and some parents have been enjoying runs around the fields adjacent to the school, in training for an inter-schools cross country event in February - where they did themselves proud!
For the month of March, our sporting hopes will be on the group of children who will represent our school at the Area Swimming Gala, held at Lords Meadow Pool. This annual event is always well attended by representatives from all the local primary schools, and provides a good opportunity for our swimmers to take part in competition racing. As a small school, we do not expect to take any trophies but we still look forward to being a part of this event and as always, we will try our best!
HEATHER M PERRY
HEADTEACHER
To gain accreditation the school had to meet over 100 demanding standards as regards the education and well being of our children; we had to evidence the good practice that is taking place, both within and outside the classroom, and prove that we do everything we can to provide our children with the best possible start in life.
It has been four years since we first became a Healthy Eating School, with healthier options on the school dinner menus and a ban on crisps and chocolate in packed lunch boxes and at snack time. Since then, children have enjoyed trying out all the different alternatives, with dried and fresh fruits, and pasta salads being amongst their favourites! Parents have been fantastic in taking up the challenge to find healthier options for their children's treats and it is really appreciated by the young consumers! We have also seen a great improvement in the quality of food offered by the school meals service ? as one of the early providers of the ?Fresh Start? menu we have seen the uptake in school meals rise consistently over the years and the efforts of our school cook Dawn, and her assistant Louise, are much appreciated.
Another improvement has been the introduction of the daily fresh fruit and vegetables scheme, which is free for all of our younger children and sold at cost to the children in Key Stage Two. It is really encouraging to see many more children willing to try a variety of healthy snacks now, and also to note the increased popularity of pure chilled water as the drink of choice to quench the thirst!
To complement such healthy diets, we are turning our attention to encouraging even more exercise this year, both within the curriculum and through optional clubs. Since the start of the New Year the Staff have initiated a challenging new venture ? cross country running! Consequently, every Wednesday, children, teachers and some parents have been enjoying runs around the fields adjacent to the school, in training for an inter-schools cross country event in February - where they did themselves proud!
For the month of March, our sporting hopes will be on the group of children who will represent our school at the Area Swimming Gala, held at Lords Meadow Pool. This annual event is always well attended by representatives from all the local primary schools, and provides a good opportunity for our swimmers to take part in competition racing. As a small school, we do not expect to take any trophies but we still look forward to being a part of this event and as always, we will try our best!
HEATHER M PERRY
HEADTEACHER