Sustainable schools: food and drink

Fact - a healthy diet has a direct impact on a child's ability to study. Children who eat a healthy lunch are more focused and better able to learn (School Food Trust).

The food and drink doorway is closely linked to the Healthy Eating theme of the National Healthy Schools Programme. It brings together all the different strands relating to food and drink in schools to increase students’ understanding of food and their ability to look after themselves and the environment.'

Doorway booklet - food and drink

Top tips for sustainability in food and drink.

Review your current position by looking at the food available in school and assessing both its nutritional value and impact on the environment.
Distribute leadership responsibilities - think about appointing a catering manager who fully understands nutritional standards, pricing policies and the labour implications involved.
Look at how you can involve the whole school in what you are doing, for example, by involving catering staff in cookery lessons so that students can learn how to make the healthy meals to be served in school.
Look at ‘active’ ways for students to learn about food and drink, such as the school growing its own produce.
Think about how students can get involved in driving the agenda forward - enlist the help of the school council in designing and marketing attractive, healthy menus that will appeal to students.
Think globally by linking with schools abroad to compare notes about diet in different countries; and look at Fairtrade issues.

Case studies

Education for sustainability in an extended school - Bowbridge Primary School

Exploring sustainable lifestyles at a local and international level - Crispin School in Somerset

Empowering students and staff to tackle sustainability - Lampton School

Maximising student participation in sustainability - Ringwood School