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Southwark School Meals Transformation Programme

School Governor Advice and Support

Governors are accountable for three specific areas which relate to school meals:

  • Promoting pupil physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing – school meal provision together with school food culture are critical to achieving this.
  • Financial oversight – school meal funding represents both a significant income stream and major spending area.
  • School food provision - specifically how schools ensure they are meeting the quality standards set out by national DfE guidance as well as the additional water and dessert policies introduced by Southwark Council.

How can governors help the transformation programme?

  • Encouraging and supporting your schools to get involved.
  • Ensure school meals are routinely reviewed by governors to ensure that quality, value for money and compliance with the school food standards is maintained.
  • Ensure governors receive regular reports on the take-up of school lunches and financial aspects of school food provision.
  • By developing, in consultation with school leadership teams, a Whole School Food Policy.
  • Nominating a lead governor for school food to coodinate.

Example Whole School Food Policy Templates from Healthy Schools London

Healthy Schools London - Nursey & Primary School (docx, 473kb)Healthy Schools London - Secondary School (docx, 38kb)Healthy Schools London - Primary School (docx, 42kb)

Training Opportunity for Governors

A free 30 minute online course designed for School Governors in Southwark. Its focus is to explain the issue of excess weight in our borough and help establish action points, however small, to reverse the excess weight epidemic we are currently facing. Taking action to address this topic require background knowledge and empathy, which this course aims to develop. Access the training here.