Food & Nutrition

Overview

A healthy diet directly affects a child’s ability to learn effectively and achieve high standards in school. We therefore place a strong emphasis on diet and nutrition, as well as promoting family health enabling us to meet the stated aims and outcomes of the Every Child Matters Government initiative. All food and drinks consumed during the school day are provided by Orchard, with all being carefully planned and designed to meet the nutritional needs of every child.

Variety & Diversity

Part of the planning process for food within Orchard is understanding the need for variety and as such we are proud of the seasonal menus created. Our trained staff produce options catering for vegetarians, those with specific medical dietary requirements and those fulfilling cultural obligations.

Meals are taken, sitting with staff, in family type groupings, which encourage children to try new textures and flavours from our home cooked menus.

Child Participation

We want our children to have a voice in food & nutrition experience at Orchard and have put in place various ways in which they can have their input. Our gardener spends time with the pupils planning seasonal produce which they plant, care for and help grow until it reaches their plates. The school is also actively involved in the RHS campaign for School Gardening.

Pupils are also asked to give their opinions on the food served at the school through feedback forms and via the school council, of which many children are members.

Social Interaction & Responsible Practices

The time children spend out of the classroom interacting with each other and developing those all-important social skills is incredibly valuable. Orchard fosters a culture of eating together, not only providing the opportunity for this interaction, but also allowing the norms and conventions of table manners to be imparted and modelled in a relaxed way.

The baby foods provided to our littlest ones encourage them to acquire a savoury taste, thus lessoning the risk of childhood obesity and poor nutrition as they grow.

We are committed to developing sustainable eating habits amongst our pupils and also recognise that a partnership between home and school is critical in shaping how children think about food and their health.

Please click the following link to view an example of our weekly menu:

Download an Example Menu

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