Healthy school food policy

Healthy school food policy can help to promote a healthy diet amongst Scottish children and young people.  The Scottish Government has recognised the importance of schools as a setting for provision and promotion of healthy food and drinks through national policies such as Hungry for Success and more recently through the Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007.  Glasgow City Council (GCC) has well established healthy school food policies and programmes.  GCPH has been working with GCC to evaluate impacts of these policies and programmes on pupils’ dietary attitudes and behaviour.  Research was conducted in 2006 and 2007 to explore the impacts of these policies and programmes both within and beyond school.  Findings from each phase of research were summarised in two briefing papers: Healthy Food Provision and Promotion in Primary School: What impact is it having on food choices? and Healthy food provision and promotion in primary and secondary school: Impacts in school and beyond. 

The research concluded that pupils, parents/carers and school staff were broadly supportive of the healthy school food agenda and in favour of it continuing.  School food policies and programmes were perceived to have been more successful in primary than secondary schools where there was increasing evidence that secondary pupils preferred to leave school to buy lunch from a range of unhealthy food retail outlets.  The idea of boosting school meal uptake in secondary schools by preventing secondary pupils from leaving the school premises at lunchtime received limited support and a pilot exercise was recommended as an appropriate first step.

The ‘Big Eat In’ Evaluation

In December 2008, approval was sought from Glasgow City Council’s Executive Committee to conduct a pilot exercise in eight secondary schools in Glasgow where S1 pupils would be encouraged to stay within the school grounds at lunchtime.  This approval was granted and a pilot (the ‘Big Eat In’) commenced at the beginning of the school term in August 2009 running for a full academic year, following preparatory work with pupils, parents and staff in pilot secondary schools and their feeder primary schools with accompanying publicity.  

Each school adopted its own approach and, with help from partners, offered S1 pupils a package of initiatives to provide them with a positive incentive to stay in school during lunchtime.

An accompanying evaluation explored pupils’, parents’ and school staff’s views regarding the pilot as well as assessing impacts on healthy eating amongst pupils.  School meal uptake by year group was monitored and compared with the previous academic year.  Evaluation findings from the pilot initiative led to the continuation of stay on site lunchtime policies for S1 pupils in all pilot schools with several additional secondary schools introducing similar policies. 

Download the briefing paper of the evaluation results.

Download 'Evaluating the Impact of the Big Eat In’ - final report.

Following the BEI evaluation, further qualitative research has been conducted to explore the sustainability of lunchtime stay on site policies. A report and a summary briefing paper will be available in 2012. 

Food outlets near Glasgow secondary schools: a pilot study

In addition to further qualitative research exploring the sustainability of lunchtime stay on site policies, a collaborative research study is under way to assess the nutritional quality of popular meals consumed by pupils from food outlets around secondary schools.

You can download the research protocol here. 

The main research objectives of this study are: 

• To quantify and describe numbers and type of commercial food outlets near selected Glasgow secondary schools. 
• To explore purchasing patterns amongst pupils and to note any differences by school characteristics and between study areas.
• To test purchase a specified sample of foods and beverages and conduct a nutritional analysis for selected nutrients in order to compare nutritional quality with statutory nutrient standards for school meals in Scotland. 

Findings and implications for policy and practice will be presented initially to senior decision makers in early 2012; wider dissemination will take place in 2012.