HES 36 - Association of School and College Leaders

Response to the Assembly Committee. Request for public views on  Proposed Healthy Eating in Schools Measure

•Is there a need for an Assembly Measure to promote healthy eating in schools in view of existing initiatives within this policy area?

The overwhelming response of ASCL Cymru members, who represent over 90% of the Leadership Teams of the secondary schools of Wales has been in the negative. Estyn, in its survey report of May 2008, states that

All schools have improved the range of healthy food and drinks on offer in recent years. Almost all offer healthy options at breakfast clubs, tuck shops, snack bars, canteens and vending machines

•Do you support the key provisions set out in the proposed Measure, i.e.

ASCL Cymru does not support the provision requiring Estyn to include School Meal provision in its issues to be inspected. Besides the technical difficulties of recruiting suitably qualified personnel to conduct the Inspection, this will raise the costs of School Inspection still further at a time of restricted budgets.

It should be noted that because of expectations many schools already are working toward the agenda of healthy eating and life choices. Unfortunately, the impact has been to reduce the take up of school meals.

•What are the practical implications of putting these provisions in place?

Direct responsibility for the management of school meals is predominantly via a contractor, which may be the LEA or a private firm. In the few cases where the Governing Body has determined not to employ an agent, the staffing of the school involves a suitably qualified catering manager. The Headteacher does not have expertise to take on this responsibility and thus it needs to be the contractor who is answerable.

Given the possibility of litigation against the Headteacher personally, the Measure should place responsibilities and duties on the Governing Body and not the Headteacher.

The responsibility for the provision of drinking water in maintained schools must be the LEA who is, in simple terms, the owner and  landlord of the premise.

Many schools do not have dining/catering facilities which match the aspirations of the Healthy Eating Agenda – impossible for all pupils to eat on school site.

•Are there further provisions that you would like to see added to the proposed Assembly Measure?

It would be helpful if the Measure was explicit in its guidance to Ministers that regulations must reflect the culture and traditions of Wales and the school e.g. food produced for fetes, parties etc.

•Do you think the proposed Assembly Measure will achieve its overall purpose and aim, i.e. to enable a holistic, comprehensive ‘made in Wales’ policy on nutrition in schools to be developed and implemented?

The proposed Measure may, given sensitive management of the implementation, enable a holistic approach to the issue of nutrition in schools but that depends upon whether  pupils vote with their feet.

With young adults and an inclination to challenge and to be different,, compulsion is not always a successful strategy in influencing their choices.

Thus there is a difference between primary school pupils and secondary school students whose ages range from 11 to 19 and this difference is not recognised in the proposed Measure.