Proposal for a Healthy Eating in Schools Measure

The National Union of Teachers in Wales (UCAC)

I am please to respond on behalf of Undeb Cenedlaethol Athrawon Cymru. (The National Union of Teachers in Wales)

1. Do you think that the proposed Measure will promote a holistic “all school” approach to healthy eating? Are there any additional powers that could be included in the Measure to further promote this approach in schools?

UCAC believes that the proposed Measure will promote a holistic “all school” approach.  It would secure continuity throughout Wales and would raise awareness of the importance of healthy eating.  UCAC does not believe that any additional powers are needed in the Measure to further promote this approach in schools.

2.The proposed Measure provides for Regulations which will specify nutritional standards to be introduced by Welsh Ministers.  Do you think that this incremental approach will ensure that children, young people and parents are not alienated by the speed of the reforms?

There will be a need to secure the school/Local Education Authority’s right to buy local food and produce, but also a need to encourage them to do so.  UCAC agrees that the speed at which this was implemented in England has worked against its purpose, and has turned children against the foods that are offered.

3.Are there any additional powers which should be added to the proposed Measure that would further improve healthy eating in schools?

The proposed Measure includes, not only school meals for schoolchildren, but also “regulates what is provided in school tuck shops and vending machines.”  UCAC is aware of some institutions where the buildings have been funded under the PFI scheme, and that it is the company funding the work that have the right to manage the vending machines.   We are aware that these machines sell merchandise that is not in-keeping with health eating policies in schools. But because the funding companies have the rights, the school cannot intervene. Therefore, it will be necessary to make sure that the Measure regulates the rights of funding companies to sell in their vending machines goods that are contrary to the recommendations of the Measure.

4.Does the proposed Measure promote satisfactorily the principles of sustainable development in the provision of healthy school food?

UCAC agrees, considering our comments on questions 5, 6 and 7

5.Do you agree with the duties, responsibilities and reporting requirements proposed in the Measure for head teachers and governors? Will these requirements ensure that progress is made on improving healthy eating in schools?

UCAC is aware that forcing Head teachers to prepare annual written reports for the Local Education Authority, the Governors, parents and the public would add to the Head teacher’s workload.  Would it be expected that the report is sent out to parents with the annual report in preparation for the annual meeting with Governors, or is the report to be issued separately?

Would it be the school that would pay the costs of producing the report and paying for administrators’ time to develop it?

There are no guidelines in terms of length and detail of the report. This will lead to inconsistencies, in particular considering that Inspectors will report on it.   

Recommendations of UCAC:

• That a draft report is prepared and presented; the report should be short, without the need for detailed research, e.g. percentages of various foods etc.

• That the report is prepared by the Head teacher, and presented to the Governors and to the LEA annually for the first three years of the Measure being in operation; Governors will have the right to include it in their annual report to parents.   

• After the first three years, the Head teacher will be required to report back to the Inspectors during the Inspection, noting any improvements, changes, weaknesses since the previous report; this would be instead of the annual report.

• It must be made sure that Estyn Inspectors are trained regarding healthy eating requirements and that they are aware of the minimum information that would be expected in the Head teacher’s report;

• the Authority would have the right to ask the Head teacher for a report, if it believes or is aware that the school is not taking action on the Measure.

6.Do you think that the duties, responsibilities and reporting requirements proposed for Assembly Ministers, Local Education Authorities and the Chief Inspector of Schools are sufficient to have a positive impact on the implementation and monitoring of healthy eating in schools?

We at UCAC are aware that Education Officers in the LEAs are under increasing pressure at work, therefore we believe that sufficient funding should be made available to employ additional staff to receive individual schools’ reports and to prepare the annual report for the National Assembly for Wales.

UCAC recommended in question Number 5 that the annual reports should be prepared for three years only. The Measure should be implemented and established during the first three years, therefore annual reports from each school in Wales and from each Local Education Authority in Wales would not be necessary.

Including it in Estyn’s annual report would be sufficient thereafter.

7.There will be a financial cost as a result of the proposals in the Measure on the Welsh Assembly Government, Local Education Authorities, schools and to a lesser extent on Estyn. Will these proposals result in your organisation incurring financial costs, and if yes, what will these costs be? (please quantify).

I am responding on behalf of UCAC members, and not on behalf of one organisation.  We have already mentioned our concerns about the added financial cost as a result of implementing the Measure, not only cost in terms of paper and photocopying, but also staffing costs in terms of preparing and producing the reports.

Will the changes be introduced as the new contracts for supplying produce to schools are renewed, or will the Measure have the authority to change the contracts before they expire?  Changing the contracts before they expire will possibly be an added cost.

UCAC does not believe that it should be schools and LEAs that shoulder the burden of any additional costs that would be incurred by implementing the Measure.  The responsibility of fully funding it should be with the Welsh Assembly Government.  UCAC has recommended that the reports should be submitted for three years only,  because it is for three years only that the Welsh Assembly Government funds individual schemes; subsequently the funding is included in the annual settlement .  In other words, funding gets lost in the fog of funding education in Wales.

UCAC does not support any funding regime that is dependent upon schools/ LEAs making individual bids or applications for funding.  An open and fair formula should be established which ensures that each Authority and each school can meet the requirements of the Measure fully, without adding anything to their costs.

20 February 2008

UCAC
Pen Roc
Marine Terrace
ABERYSTWYTH
Ceredigion
SY23 2AZ

01970 639950 / ucac@athrawon.com