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What was done?

Catering staff across schools in Scotland are working in collaboration with education to help develop food education and school food provision in line with guidance from Better Eating, Better Learning and the food and health benchmarks. This exemplar demonstrates a number of  early learning, primary and secondary establishments that are successfully making the links between education and catering, meeting the guidelines within Better Eating, Better Learning.

Why?

Published in 2014, Better Eating, Better Learning provides guidelines and a self-evaluation toolkit which have been implemented in a wide range of creative and innovative ways to enhance school food provision and food education in local authorities across Scotland. These exemplars demonstrate the importance of the links between education and catering to make a positive difference.

What was the impact?

• Learning new skills to ultimately use at home;
• Developing skills and confidence in practical cookery;
• Encouraging children to be more comfortable with different types of food;
• Education and catering working together in relation to the success of Better Eating, Better Learning and Good Food Nation.

How to use this exemplar to improve practice

The following links provide information on projects which have come about as a result of catering and education working together to support food education in schools. Use the links to consider current practice in your own establishment/local authority in relation to food education and the links you have with school catering.

East Renfrewshire Council

Calderwood Lodge Nursery Class use local Locavore fruit and vegetable boxes to make soups and dishes used at lunchtime.

Giffnock Primary School has a parent/child cooking club.

St Joseph's Primary School uses food harvested from the school grounds.

Williamwood High School involves pupils with additional support needs in the school kitchen.

Fife Council

Lochgelly High School, a BEBL award-winning school, has made positive changes to food education and school food provision based on pupil voice.

South Lanarkshire Council

South Lanarkshire Council has worked across every secondary school in the local authority to enhance food education and the school food experience.

Orkney Islands Council

School catering staff within Orkney Islands Council have been offered the chance to up-skill with SVQ training by the University of Highlands and Islands.

Improvement questions

• How can you ensure that effective links between catering and education lead to positive changes to food education/the school food experience in your establishment/local authority?
• Consider which aspect of the Better Eating, Better Learning self-evaluation toolkit would be most appropriate for your setting to focus on:
• Food and health
• Food and learning
• School food and drink provision
• The dining experience
• Sustainability through food
• Training and support
• Communication and engagement