Small grant case studies
Healthy eating
Antony CE VA School In order to get parents and children cooking together the school wrote to parents describing cookery sessions with a focus on budgeting and food content. There was a good response and the programme was set up, although the parents who attended already had a good knowledge of healthy eating and budgeting.
Blisland Community Primary School Pupils' packed lunches tended to be fairly unhealthy so the school began an after-school cookery club for the children, with parents' help, focusing on healthy packed lunch items. The children gained good cookery skills and recipes were sent home to parents. "One Y6 boy ate the first vegetable I have ever seen him eat!!!" said a teacher.
Burraton Community Primary School Feeling the need for healthier snacks at playtime, the school held a fruit promotion and used sponsorship to purchase stock for the tuck shop and free fruit for junior children on Fridays. Benefits include raised awareness of health, children's involvement in organising and running the tuck shop, less litter and fewer seagulls scavenging in the playground.
Cape Cornwall School The brief set was to design and make a soup product that could be served from the school canteen using vegetables in season. Pupils had to be aware of the problems faced by the canteen staff, to know what vegetables were in season, and the benefits of buying in season. They needed to understand why organic food production is better for the environment. They were required to work as a team to model a soup product using foods provided; this helped them develop an understanding of the basic method for soup-making. They needed to research soup recipes that used vegetables in season, produce a detailed plan for manufacture, then follow the plans to make a soup product. They were required to use their IT skills to scale up a recipe for use by the canteen, and also to price products. They were required to work as a group to taste, smell and look at their soup products to find the best designs for consideration by the canteen.
Caradon Short Stay School Staff felt that students had very little concept of a healthy lifestyle. The Short Stay School used the grant towards the development of a Food Technology Area and equipment for it, enabling the introduction of an entry level qualification. The outcome is that students are regularly accessing Food Technology and on two days each week students cook for other students.
Darite Primary School The school had been running an after-school cookery club using their Baby Belling but frequently the time waiting for things to cook meant that the club overran. The School Council approached the PTA and asked them if they would match the grant from Cornwall Healthy Schools in order to purchase and install of a full-sized cooker. The school purchased the cooker (although the cost of installation was much more than expected!) and all children were asked if they wanted to come to the club. Each group now has eight sessions during the autumn / spring terms.
Grampound Road Village CE Primary School The school identified the need to improve eating habits at lunch time and before school. Through the project a fruit tuck shop was set up on a mobile trolley system. Pupils sell the fruit daily in the playground at 8.50am. The children are now more focussed, having had fruit as breakfast. They are also more settled after morning play, having had fruit instead of crisps or sweets. There is less litter in the playground and the children are aware of healthy options and able to try new things.
Gulval CP School The staff wanted to set up an after-school cookery club because they felt that the children were not getting enough experience of cooking and also that what was done was not particularly healthy (the children tended to be taught to make cakes and biscuits). They found an adult experienced in working with children and cooking who was willing to volunteer an hour a week to run the club. The small grant was used to purchase resources. The project was definitely worthwhile. The children enjoyed it greatly and several children reported making kebabs at home for their families. The club was very popular - children had to be turned away as there were not enough places for all who wanted to take part. Unfortunately the volunteer adult is no longer able to run the club, but the school now fits healthy cooking activities into the curriculum as often as possible and as a weekly activity for some classes.
Kehelland Village School The children needed to learn about a balanced diet, so the small grant was used to purchase supplies to make healthy sandwiches. They also bought tables so that children are able to eat their packed lunches outside. The children also designed a healthy airline meal and had talks from local sports players about their healthy eating. Their understanding of healthy eating has improved.
Mithian School In order to set up a healthy cookery club the school needed to purchase resources and it was necessary to train staff in health and hygiene. The grant was used to buy cookery equipment and ingredients. The focus of the club was on healthy food. The resulting benefits are that it has encouraged the children to make healthy food choices, it has raised awareness of the available healthy snacks and meal options and it has developed their social skills, through working together.
Nansloe CP School Staff were aware that teaching the skill of cooking was sometimes being neglected due to lack of time, also that the prevalence of fast foods outlets and canteens can mean that children have less experience of restaurants and table settings. For the project, mixed-age groups of children cooked together. The older children were able to help the younger ones with measuring. A visit to the Trevenson Training Restaurant followed, with the children being given the opportunity to spend the morning alongside students, setting up the restaurant; they were then able to enjoy a three-course lunch. The children were also taken to an award-winning fishmonger's at Porthleven where they learnt how to select mussels and how to open an oyster. They are learning to distinguish between food types and to learn what is healthy and what can be enjoyed as an occasional treat.
St. Agnes School The free fruit scheme was only available to KS1 pupils. Through the School Council, year 3 pupils reported that they missed their daily fruit, so the school formed a partnership with the village greengrocer and the Healthy Schools small grant helped with the cost of providing fruit. Outcomes include an increase in healthier choices, improved opportunities to promote health and wellbeing, increased understanding of what health means and its value in our lives, improved access to healthy eating and changed lifestyle habits positively for health.
St. Cleer Primary School Through the School Council, pupils demanded a Healthy Eating Cookery Club. This generated great enthusiasm from the children, parents and School Cook. The School Cook led a series of six structured sessions after school with six different groups of children in years 5 and 6. The sessions focussed on healthy eating, cooking and a healthy lifestyle. The project really inspired the children and their parents to continue to cook and eat healthily at home. It was also excellent professional development for the new, young School Cook.
St Merryn School The school identified a need for a breakfast club because some children were arriving to school late, having seemingly just got up. The project sought to encourage a healthy breakfast, followed by regular Wake Up Shake Up routines. The former Head and two regular helpers held the breakfast club three times per week. Approximately twelve children attended the club and the school found that those who had previously been latecomers would attend school early in order to prepare breakfast. The children had a varied menu, using quality organic products, and were encouraged to try new foods. The breakfast club was temporarily stopped because of staff changes but the new Head plans to reinstate it very soon.
St Stephens CP School A parent runs the smoothie club, which enhances Healthy Tuck. The school now has a refrigerator for food storage. The money that is made from the sale of smoothies is used to buy more fruit etc, so the project is self-sustaining.
Torpoint Community College In an effort to encourage the students to eat healthily, the college has issued Healthy Passports. (They have not yet measured the impact of this.)
Werrington School The school needed to equip and staff a cookery club and the small grant was used to purchase equipment.