As part of the regional event for School Food Ambassadors held on the 14th February 2008 the delegates shared their knowledge and good practice on a number of issues.

Here is the information gathered from a session in which School Food Ambassadors shared recommendations’ for effective joint working & knowledge sharing within local school food groups/networks.

Effective joint working and knowledge sharing within local school food groups

Resources

“Get Your Hands Dirty”

The Growing Schools programme has supported the School Farms Network in developing this new resource “Get Your Hands Dirty” to help teachers who want support and advice on growing plants or animal care. The resource is designed to cater for different levels of activity from raising tomatoes in hanging baskets or starting to keep a few hens, to a larger scale enterprise. The free resource box, an accompanying booklet demonstrating the educational and school benefits, and dividers, is available by sending an email with your full contact details to: schoolfarmsnetwork@farmgarden.org.uk or download content from the Growing Schools website

“Why Farming Matters”

Two new exciting packs of resources commissioned by the NFU and produced by FACE. The packs for both primary and secondary school teachers include booklets containing a series of activities on a wide range of farming topics, as well as three sets of picture cards and a DVD containing interviews with farmers about their lives and work. Individual and multiple copies of both packs can be ordered free of charge at
www.face-online.org.uk/whyfarmingmatters

The Food for Life Partnership - support documents

The Food For Life Partnership has produced a document outlining how their programme links with other organisations and initiatives working to improve food in schools, and a guide to the Food For Life Partnership Mark Criteria.

FFLP Links with other initiatives

FFLP Mark Criteria - guidance

Reports

Food competences framework; Shaping the eating habits of the next generation

The Food Standards Agency has published a framework of core skills and knowledge for children and young people, which sets out the essential building blocks in relation to healthy eating, cooking and food safety.

The food competences framework, as it is known, is intended to help schools and community-based organisations provide children and young people with the foundation to make healthy food choices now and into adulthood.

Within the themes of diet and health, consumer awareness, cooking (food preparation and handling), and food safety, the framework applies to young people aged between 5 and 16+.
The food competences support wider Government work aimed at improving the health of young people and will contribute towards helping schools develop a ‘whole school approach’ to diet and health.

The food competences framework will be promoted through a UK-wide network of existing practitioners, already working through schemes such as the FSA What’s Cooking Programme, the Cooking Bus, Healthy Schools Programmes and other cooking club programmes. The FSA will also be encouraging other relevant organisations to adopt the framework. Click here for more information or click on link below to download the documents

Food Competences Framework

Food Standards Agency - Local Area Agreements Guidance on Food and Health

A resource for Local Authorities, PCTs and their partners developing
Local Area Agreements and delivery plans, and to illustrate how food activities support the delivery of a wide range of indicators from the recently published National Indicator Set. Click here for more information or on the link below to download the document

Local Area Agreements - Guidance on Food & Health

The Cabinet Office - Food: an analysis of the issues

A discussion paper published by The Strategy Unit at The Cabinet Office gives a wide range of statistical information about the UK’s eating habits, health and food industry. The document has lots of easy to use facts and figures for presentations and teaching about healthy eating and the UK’s relationship with food.

For example

p35 - 43 Section 2, Changing Consumer Demand - Attitudes to Healthy Eating
p72 - 74 Section 5, Food Security - Income and Diet
p93 - 109 Section 7, Diet & Health - Diet and Health Outcomes

Click here to download the paper