Whole School Food Policy Project

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Whole School Food Policy Project
Are Whole School Food Policies implemented
effectively in practice in primary schools in the
West Midlands?

• Sarah Davis
• Department of Health West Midlands

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Background

• A WSFP is an important element of the Healthy
  Eating Theme to meet the criteria for National
  Healthy Schools status
• It sets out a schools intention for practice
  concerning food across the whole school day
• No. of schools who have a WSFP increased
  dramatically between 2005 and 2007 107! (FiS
  survey 07)
• Little is known as to how effectively WSFPs are
  implemented in practice and whether this
  translates into improved food provision and
  environments in schools, changes in
  attitudes/behaviour and ultimately in improved
  health and well-being of children.
• Wanted to know whether WSFPs implemented
  effectively in practice (or self-validated as a
  vehicle for meeting HS standard)
• whether have an impact on health wellbeing
• to identify good practice

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Overview of Project (Methods)

• Extraction taken from the Healthy Schools
  database of all primary schools in West Midlands
  who self validated that they have a WSFP (n747)
• Random 5 sample taken (n37)
• Schools were invited, via the Local Healthy
  Schools Teams to take part in the research
• 22 schools agreed to participate
• WSFPs requested from all 37 schools randomly
  selected and each one received was scored against
  a set list of criteria
• Questionnaire designed ( piloted) and carried
  out by the researchers in 22 participating
  schools questions for Head teacher, Governor,
  Teachers, Pupils, Parents and School
  Cook/Catering Manager
• From questionnaire responses and observation,
  schools were given another score (same criteria)
  based on practice, post visit
• School environment and assessment of changes
  children were making across the school day
  (origin FiS survey) were also reported on.

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Key findings

• Large variation between WSFPs in the 37 schools
  selected
• Schools who did not agree to participate in a
  visit generally had lower scoring WSFPs than
  those schools who did
• Observed practice overwhelmingly positive
• Comparing the policy scoring of schools visited
  versus practice scoring practice better than
  policy in all but three criteria (policy on
  packed lunches, clarity of the curriculum
  surrounding food and the presence of a cooking
  club)
• Issues identified around schools engagement with
  parents over packed lunch policy
• Majority of schools scored highly on school
  environment, although concerns in a few schools
  around lack of promotional materials, tuck shops
  meeting standards for food other than lunch and
  the display of lunch menus
• Some issues identified around procedures for the
  dining room environment
• Particular areas of good practice collected from
  several schools.
• Routinely collected data no associations found
  between higher practice scores and NCMP
  participation, Overweight or Obesity levels or
  with FSM uptake.

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Recommendations

• Standardisation of the content of WSFPs to reduce
  large variation between schools
• Need to ensure schools good practice is
  reflected in WSFPs and represents the intentions
  and way forward for the school, in consultation
  with the whole school community
• National, regional and local Healthy Schools
  Teams need to work together, and with schools, to
  develop a more standardised approach and to
  improve the moderation process, particularly to
  overcome the issues identified with self
  validation (schools claiming WSFP when dont
  have).
• Schools need to do more work more closely with
  parents to engage them in the implementation of
  packed lunch policy, although the overall aim
  should be be to promote school meals
• Could be useful to repeat project with secondary
  schools where potentially there are bigger issues
  (and try to increase participation with more
  resources and time)
• More sharing of good practice across local HS
  teams

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Contacts

• Sarah Davis sarah.davis_at_dh.gsi.gov.uk
• 0121 352 5068
• Catherine Goodridge
• catherine.goodridge_at_sandwell-pct.nhs.uk
• 0121 612 1460