What is your school's policy regarding kids bringing in a healthy snack in for break? (Key stage 2)

[mshah]

Can I canvas opinion please?

My kids go to a state school in Herne Hill. They've just moved to year 3 i.e. Key Stage 2. Up until now under the government's School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS), they were all provided (all kids aged 4-6) with fruit during their mid-morning break time.

Having moved up to KS2, this isn't available anymore. I completely get that the SVFS stops, I also accept with the current funding issues schools cannot fork out for this from their own budgets, but children are not even allowed to bring in a piece of fruit from home either!

The rationale for the school's policy is that some parents wouldn't be able to afford a piece fruit for their kids to bring in so essentially nobody can.

I really cannot understand the rationale esp as the school a)is assuming that they'd be lots of kids without fruit each day due to affordability issues (to which I am empathetic) i.e. its not based on a trial b) I can almost bet that it would be an insignificant minority and maybe the PTA could try and help fund a snack for these kids.

For the sake of a few I feel majority of kids are being penalised and they're actually hungry as their lunch time is also much later than at KS1. There are some concentration issues too...when tummies are rumbling.

Can I get some views from you on

1. What is the policy in your school? If possible could you name the school as we need some evidence of what local practice around us is.

2. If there is an affordability issue how has your school tackled this?

3. Any other useful info. I feel that the school should not be able to just make up this rule...there must also be a "legal" aspect that says that they need to consider the benefit for the majority.

TIA!

[Lochie]

I find this really sad, I've never heard of this before. My son is in year 4 at a state school in LB Bromley and from year they are told they can bring in two snacks - one for morning and one for afternoon break (fruit). Both my kids (9 and 6) are hungry on a regular basis (perhaps it is just habit and boredom but I am pretty sure it is because they are growing so fast!). I think it would be really hard for them to go from breakfast to lunch without a snack at all in between whilst maintaining concentration levels. I hope you manage to get a solution to this and I will watch with interest...

[Marienne]

Hi Mshah

My daughter is in year 6 in Pickhurst Junior Academy in West Wickham. She has to take in a separate healthy snack to school for snack time.

I don't know how they tackle affordability issues over the snack, sorry.

I have not ever provided fruit but this is due to my daughter not wanting to eat an apple or something that will be messy. I usually provide cherry tomatoes, cucumber or carrots.

The school has policed the healthy aspect heavily and have not allowed anything other than fruit or veg or at least that is the message I am getting from my daughter.

[nylonmeals]

We're at a state school in Brixton and like you free fruit stopped when they moved into juniors, but they are encouraged to bring in a piece of fruit for the mid-morning break.

[mshah]

Thanks so much all! @nylonmeals would you mind sharing the name of your school? (Pm me if better)

[nylonmeals]

Course - they are at Corpus Christi

[yeknomyeknom]

Aww I feel sorry that in some schools kids are munching on a nice bit of fruit provided by parents and some other poor souls aren?t getting anything. If this was my son?s class, because I am able to (I appreciate not everyone is) I would donate fruit for my child?s class once a week. I would also approach local greengrocers or local shops to see if they wanted to sponsor the class and provide fruit or veg regularly out of kindness or for some sort of positive advertising to parents.