​​This exemplar demonstrates how education and catering can work together to drive positive change in food education and school meal service through using innovative ideas. It is part of a series of practice exemplars about making the links between education and catering, meeting the guidelines within Better Eating, Better Learning.

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What was done?

Lochgelly High School in Fife used the Better Eating Better Learning self-evaluation toolkit to drive forward positive changes in school food provision and food education experiences. Changes included:

• introducing new school lunch menus
• introducing a free Breakfast Club and Chefs Club
• putting plans in place to make adaptations to the school lunch hall and rebranding the school meal service
• education staff and catering staff working together with learners and parents to improve food education and enhance school food provision

Why?

Lochgelly High School was keen to improve the health and wellbeing of its young people. Increasing the number of healthy learners through dietary change became the main focus of the project. Key to its success was engagement with all stakeholders, in particular working in partnership with school catering at local authority level.

What was the impact?

• the stigma of free food at breakfast club has been reduced, with almost 350 pupils having a free, nutritionally balanced breakfast every day
• teachers say this has led to an improvement in the quality of learning and behaviour during morning classes
• collaborative working with school catering to develop plans to enhance the dining area has led to cross-curricular working and enhanced partnership working with school catering