Food and drink advice and support

Most schools now enjoy food that is healthy for their pupils, but it's not necessarily so healthy for our planet. Find out how you can start minimising the environmental impacts of your school's food.

Healthy schools

• Work with your Healthy Schools lead teacher and Southwark Council's Healthy Schools co-ordinator - there are many overlaps with environmental projects. Go further by signing up to the Food for Life award for schools.

Reduce food waste

• Our advice sheet how to reduce kitchen and dining room waste explains how to educate pupils and staff to reduce the amount of food waste in your school.  

School trips

• Utilise Southwark's Healthy Living education venues. Details for all these can be found on the Southwark Eco-Schools map.
• Visit a farm and make the most of the Year of Food and Farming. You can even visit Surrey Docks Farm in Southwark.

Go fairtrade

• Participate in Fairtrade Fortnight with the Fairtrade Foundation or Oxfam. You can even become a Fairtrade School.

Go local

• Reduce the school's food miles by buying more local food or getting involved with British Food Fortnight.

Go Meat Free on Mondays

• Producing meat tends to use more resources than growing vegetables - many schools have signed up for Meat Free Mondays.

Grow your own

• Grow vegetables, fruit and herbs in your school garden and use them in school meals. Get advice from the Royal Horticultural Society, the Year of Food and Farming and Growing Schools. 

Get cooking

• Start a cooking club involving pupils and parents. For advice and resources look at lets get cooking.

Adopt a whole school approach

• Develop a Sustainable Food Policy.

What can we achieve?

• Improved health and learning
• Use vegetables grown by the children in school meals
• More sustainable food and drink purchasing.

Further resources

• Sustainable Schools - core materials, curriculum links and tips
• Food Standards Agency - projects and resources
• Sustainweb - resources to encourage pupils to eat five-a-day
• School Food Trust - information, guidance and games.

Southwark case studies

• Charles Dickens Primary have fruit trees and grow lots of vegetables in their garden. They eat their vegetables in school meals, or take them home. At their 'Great Veg Giveaway' all parents got a plant in return for planting some seeds.
• For more inspiration look at Creating Sustainable Schools: A Case Study Guide.