An initiative aimed at creating healthier schools across Knowsley has celebrated its first success.
Pupils at Prescot Primary School have been presented with a Bronze Award in Knowsley’s Healthy Schools programme which encourages primary schools across the borough to introduce additional healthy eating options to their lunch menus, as well as promoting healthy eating and lifestyle choices, such as walking to school and physical activities.
Cllr Christine Bannon, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for Health visited Prescot Primary to present the award and hear about the initiatives the school had adopted since joining the scheme last November.
These include the school’s new ‘Sample Stars’ scheme, which celebrates pupils who try new foods at lunch and a lunchtime swap station. Pupils have also become ‘changemakers’ – leading the way in promoting healthy eating across the school and carrying out parent surveys to find out more about the snacks being brought into school.
The Healthy Schools programme has been developed by Knowsley Council to strengthen work underway to support children’s healthy weight.
Schools joining the Healthy Schools programme will be presented with bronze, silver and gold awards which recognise their level of participation and achievements in the scheme and come with financial incentives. Prescot Primary is hoping its commitment to healthy lifestyles will soon be recognised with a silver award.
So far 38 primary schools have joined the Healthy Schools programme – with 12 of the schools launching ‘swap stations’, whereby pupils bringing packed lunches can swap some of their items with healthier alternatives.
Knowsley’s School Meals Service is supporting the programme by providing a range of healthy items that can be swapped including fruits, yoghurt and cheese and crackers.
Following the introduction of a ‘swap station’ at Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School in Prescot, one parent commented: “The Swap Station has been a great idea. It is hard to get my son to try new foods, especially fruit and veg, but he has swapped twice this week and tried different fruits. I am really pleased that he has been encouraged to try something new.”
Cllr Christine Bannon, Knowsley’s Cabinet Member for Health, commented: “Congratulations to the pupils and staff at Prescot primary for achieving the bronze award. They have come up with some great initiatives and shown a real commitment to healthy eating at school.
“The health and wellbeing of our schoolchildren is something the council cares greatly about, so it’s great to see so many schools who have joining the scheme which supports pupils and families to eat well and be physically active.”