School takes a healthy approach (From Watford Observer)

School takes a healthy approach

8:38am Tuesday 18th September 2007

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Pupils at a Rickmansworth school are enjoying healthier, cheaper and tastier food this term thanks to a new canteen and bakery.

Keen to up the amount of pupils eating healthy school meals, managers at the St Joan of Arc School invited private company Cooks to take over the running of their ailing school meals service.

The school spent around £86,000 refurbishing its old canteen during the summer holidays but expect their investment pay for itself in the coming years.

Crisps, chips, burgers and soft drinks (banned by new government legislation) have now been replaced by healthier options like paninis, salads and fruit.

Sarah Barnard, schools manager for Cooks, said: "We have a number of our bakeries in schools across the country and have we know what children want to eat. Within the new regulations we're trying to give them fast food and healthy food in an environment they feel comfortable in and want to eat in."

Television chef Jamie Oliver was one of the first to draw attention to the kind of food being served up in schools across the country.

Since then the Government has focused on promoting healthy eating in schools.

However, this has seen a drop in the number of children eating school meals and an increase in the numbers eating packed lunches, often packed with fatty foods and fizzy drinks.

However, headteacher Peter Sweeney said the new facility had proved popular with his pupils.

He said: "It's not often that children come up to their headteacher and say thank you but they have been.

"We're now getting around 900 pupils a day through here which is about 75 per cent of the school population, as opposed to around 30 per cent from before. Overall it's been a great success so far."

Members of the school's student council, who were involved in the planning of the new facility, agree.

Ryan Beeson, 15, said: "The food they serve now is much nicer than before. It used to be greasy and unhealthy but now it is so much better."

The bakery will eventually employ seven full-time staff and a will also offer roles to a limited number of sixth form pupils.

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