You can read the our policy below or download the document by clicking the link below. Hardcopies of all policies are available upon request.

Healthy Eating Policy

Statement of Intent

Golborne and Maxilla regards mealtimes and snacks as an important part of the day. Eating represents a social time for children and adults and helps children learn about healthy eating.

Aim

At mealtimes and snack times, we aim to provide nutritious food, which meets the children’s individual needs. The emphasis of Golborne and Maxilla is in homemade food. Our catering contract is with Lunchtime Co. Our menu is on a three-week cycle. At lunch we have meat free Monday, Halal on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and Fish on Fridays. Our tea menu also follows three-week cycle. This menu is decided by Lunchtime Co.

Allergy and Special Dietary Needs

Please also refer to Allergies, food intolerance and preference Policy.

• Children with allergies and food intolerances must be closely supervised at all times. All staff, especially new staff, must be aware of the child’s allergies and any action to be taken. This must be reviewed and updated regularly to ensure that everybody is continuing to follow the correct procedures for that child.
• In cases where a reaction may be very severe designated, qualified staff will ensure that safe procedures for food preparation and storage are adhered to, using colour coded utensils and crockery if necessary. All staff must be made aware of this and the reasons why. Other children and parents must also be alerted to the dangers of bringing prohibited food, or foods that may contain prohibited ingredients, into the centre.
• All staff must be aware of the emergency procedure for each child as well and symptoms and administration of any medication.
• The school will make every effort to accommodate individual needs and preferences and staff will be expected to encourage respect and understanding for religious, cultural and medical differences through positive explanation and through challenging any negative remarks

Parents and Carers

• We discuss our statement of intent together, and the healthy eating policy is available for parents and carers.
• The menu is displayed on the board in reception. Menus are given to all parents and displayed on our website.
• We work closely with parents to ensure our records are up to date
• We implement systems to ensure that children receive only food and drink which is consistent with their dietary needs and parents/carers wishes

Food and Drink

We provide nutritious meals at all mealtimes and snack times, avoiding foods high in fat, sugar, salt and artificial additives, preservatives and colourings. The menus are checked by nutritionists in the LA to ensure they provide the right balance of nutrients for children under 5, including:

• Protein for growth and repair
• Fruits and vegetables for minerals and vitamins to fight infection
• Dairy foods containing calcium for strong bones and teeth
• Carbohydrates such as bread, rice, potatoes, pasta and cereals to provide energy to play and learn

We include foods from the diet of each of our children’s cultural backgrounds, providing children with familiar foods and introducing them to new ones. Through discussion with parents and research by staff, we obtain information about the dietary rules of the religious groups to which children and their parents belong, and of vegetarians and vegans and about food allergies.

We take account of this information in the provision of food and drinks.

We have fresh drinking water constantly available for the children. We inform the children about how to obtain the water and that they can ask for water at any time of the day.

Through the extended day services provision children are provided with breakfast and tea.

The eating environment

We organise meal and snack times so that they are social occasions in which children and staff participate. Children sit together on small tables and are encouraged to use the opportunity to talk about what they are eating

Children have the opportunity to explore the textures of food through sensory activities across the centre

We use mealtimes and snack times to help children develop independence through making choices, serving food and drink and feeding themselves

We provide children with utensils which are appropriate for their ages and stages of development, and which take account the eating practices in their cultures

Milk is available daily to children

We celebrate a variety of festivals throughout the year, including Christmas and Eid when parents are encouraged to participate and bring food from homes. Any food prepared by parents for nursery celebrations are clearly labelled and follow our allergy policy guidelines. Fruit is advised for Birthday celebrations. No celebration cakes are allowed into the nursery to ensure any allergy regulations are adhered to.

Allergies, food intolerance and preferences Policy

Before a child starts to attend Golborne and Maxilla we find out from parents and carers their children’s dietary needs, including allergies and intolerances.

All parents receive a menu at induction. We record information about each child’s dietary needs in his/her registration record.

We display current information about individual children’s dietary needs so that all staff are aware about them displayed in the lunch area, classroom, office and kitchen. The information should also be written on each child’s lunch label. Parents/ carers of children with allergies and intolerances must bring information from their GP identifying the allergy diagnosis. This information will then be shared with Lunchtime Co, (catering provider) a medical consent form must also be completed giving details of their child’s condition. All cases must be discussed with the child’s parents / carers to ensure that everybody is working together in a way that benefits the child.

• Children with allergies sit on one table to minimise children’s access to other foods.
• Table Lunch labels are made for each child identifying dietary requirements card for children with allergies. Modified menus are prepared upstairs and those children’s meals, if different, are labelled and brought down to the lunch tables by the catering staff.
• We require staff to show sensitivity in providing for children’s diet and allergies. Staff do not use a child’s diet or allergy as a label for the child or make a child feel singled out because of his/her or allergy.
• We have rules about children sharing and swapping their food with one another in order to protect children with food allergies. No food is brought from home into the nursery unless there are significant medical needs identified which means child’s dietary needs cannot be catered for – This must be pre-agreed and approved by the Headteacher.
• At Golborne and Maxilla, we have a NO NUTS policy and endeavour to ensure that there are no nuts or nut traces in any of our food.
• Should there be a reason why children with complex needs cannot eat school meals arrangements can be discussed with the SENDCo / Head Teacher who will make the final decision.

Policy reviewed by Ruth Davis, November 2023

This Policy was agreed and adopted by the Headteacher on 20^th November 2023.

SIGNED by the Headteacher:

Veronica Hilliard                                                               20/11/2023

…………………………………………………………………………. Date……………………..

This Policy should be reviewed every 3 Years.