Supporting schools to comply with school food regulations
To comply with School Food Regulations Schools need to meet 3 sets of standards:
- Food-Based Standards for Food other than School Lunch
- Final Food-Based Standards for School Lunch.
- Nutrient-based standards.
Nutrition and Wellbeing can provide 3 packages to support schools in complying with the standards.
1. Support for school food providers: Working with you
2. Support for school food providers: Working with you enhanced
3. Support for school food providers: Working with you enhanced with nutrient analysis
The details of what can be provided are in this document. The information is written up as packages. We are happy to negotiate changes to packages, please ask.
Package 1
1. Support for school food providers: Working with you
1. Overview of menus
Nutrition and Wellbeing staff will check the food provision that is currently available on site against the 2 sets of school food – based standards
- Food-Based Standards for Food other than School Lunch
- Final Food-Based Standards for School Lunch.
On completion of the overview a checklist will be produced for the school. This will be completed off site and feedback provided by telephone.
2. General advice
Based on the checklists completed for the overview of menus (1 above), Nutrition and Wellbeing staff will produce a report of actions that need to be taken in order to ensure that the school food complies with the food-based School Food Regulations. An action plan will be written in a step-by-step format which can be easily followed by the staff within the school kitchens and will enable them to take the appropriate actions and move towards compliance.
3. Support for local Cook to input data into a recognised school nutrition calculation programme
In order to comply with the nutrient-based standards, it is essential that the recipes used in the menus of a school, or a group of schools, are analysed in order that the nutrient content of the menu is known. Nutritional analysis is a skill and cannot be achieved accurately simply by inputting data from recipes into a nutritional analysis programme. For example. When analysing recipes allowances need to be made for changes during cooking, for example weight changes in boiling or baking. For this reason, Nutrition and Wellbeing will provide support to local cooks so help them understand nutritional analysis and more important to use the nutritional analysis software. Nutrition and Wellbeing will provide telephone guidance to staff who are undertaking nutritional analysis.
Nutrition and Wellbeing recommend that one of the nutritional analysis programmes that has been specifically developed for analysing school menus/recipes is used; a list of suitable programmes is available from the company and is also on the School Food Trust website. It is not recommended that other programmes are used as these do not have facility to automatically calculate the nutrient content of the menus measured against the School Food Regulations.
4. Advice regarding changes to achieve compliance with School Food Regulations
Based on the recommendations made under 2 above, Nutrition and Wellbeing will advise the school what information is required in order to provide evidence of compliance. This evidence of compliance will be needed for Ofsted inspections.
This is a package that will enable schools to move toward compliance through expert support via telephone.
We are happy to discuss costs for schools and groups of school depending on what is needed.
Important note: This package does not involve Nutrition and Wellbeing carrying out the nutritional analysis for the schools, it is expected that the schools will be supported to do this themselves.
Package 2
2. Support for school food providers: Working with you enhanced
1. Overview of menus
Nutrition and Wellbeing staff will check the food provision that is currently available on site against the 2 sets of school food – based standards
- Food-Based Standards for Food other than School Lunch
- Final Food-Based Standards for School Lunch.
On completion of the checklists an overview is produced for the school. This work will be done onsite. Catering staff will be encouraged to engage in the process.
2. General advice
Based on the checklists completed for the overview of menus (1 above), Nutrition and Wellbeing staff will produce a report of actions that need to be taken in order to ensure that the school food complies with the food-based School Food Regulations. An action plan will be written in a step-by-step format which can be easily followed by the staff within the school kitchens and will enable them to take the appropriate actions and move towards compliance.
3. Support for local Cook to input data into a recognised school nutrition calculation programme
In order to comply with the nutrient-based standards, it is essential that the recipes used in the menus of a school, or a group of schools, are analysed in order that the nutrient content of the menu is known. Nutritional analysis is a skill and cannot be achieved accurately simply by inputting data from recipes into a nutritional analysis programme. For example. When analysing recipes allowances need to be made for changes during cooking, for example weight changes in boiling or baking. For this reason, Nutrition and Wellbeing will provide support to local cooks so help them understand nutritional analysis and more important to use the nutritional analysis software. Nutrition and Wellbeing will provide onsite guidance to staff who are undertaking nutritional analysis.
Nutrition and Wellbeing recommend that one of the nutritional analysis programmes that has been specifically developed for analysing school menus/recipes is used; a list of suitable programmes is available from the company and is also on the School Food Trust website. It is not recommended that other programmes are used as these do not have facility to automatically calculate the nutrient content of the menus measured against the School Food Regulations.
4. Review of menus once they have been put into Nutritional Calculation Software
Nutrition and Wellbeing will review the output of the nutritional analysis software in order to assess the compliance of the school menus with the nutrient-based standards. We will then devise an action plan that will support the school cook or catering staff to make changes to the menus in order that they can move towards being compliant with the School Food Regulations. The report on changes required will be provided as an action plan and will be straightforward for cooks and catering staff to follow.
These changes will be discussed onsite with catering staff.
5. Advice regarding changes to achieve compliance with School Food Regulations
Based on the recommendations made under 2 and 4 above, Nutrition and Wellbeing will advise the school what information is required in order to provide evidence of compliance.
Important note: This package does not involve Nutrition and Wellbeing carrying out the nutritional analysis for the schools, it is expected that the schools will be supported to do this themselves.
This is a package that will enable schools to move toward compliance through expert support on site.
We are happy to discuss costs for schools and groups of school depending on what is needed.
Package 3
3. Support for school food providers: Working with you enhanced with nutrient analysis
1. Overview of menus
Nutrition and Wellbeing will visit the school and work directly with Cooks. The first step in achieving compliance with the Food-Based Standards for School Other than School Lunch and the Final Food-Based Standards for School Lunch is to check initial compliance. Nutrition and Wellbeing will work with the school to undertake these checklists and will educate the individuals within the school in the appropriate use of the checklist
Nutrition and Wellbeing staff will check the food provision that is currently available on site against the 2 sets of school food – based standards
- Food-Based Standards for Food other than School Lunch
- Final Food-Based Standards for School Lunch.
On completion of the checklists an overview be produced for the school. This work will be done onsite. Catering staff will be encouraged to engage in the process.
2. General advice
Based on the checklists completed for the overview of menus (1 above), Nutrition and Wellbeing staff will produce a report of actions that need to be taken in order to ensure that the school food complies with the food-based School Food Regulations. An action plan will be written in a step-by-step format which can be easily followed by the staff within the school kitchens and will enable them to take the appropriate actions and move towards compliance.
3. Work directly with cooks
Compliance with the nutrient-based standards depends on having accurate menu information available. This begins with accurate recipes and provision of information within school kitchens. Nutrition and Wellbeing will work with school Cooks and caterers to ensure that accurate recipes are written down and provisions are accurately recorded.
4. Input data into recognised schools nutritional calculation programme
Once recipes are written down, the next step in achieving compliance with nutrient-based standards is to calculate the nutritional content of an average school lunch. Nutrition and Wellbeing will take the recipes provided by the school and will input these accurately into a schools nutritional calculation programme. They will take the provision mix provided by the school and calculate the nutrient content of an average school lunch based on this provision list.
Nutrition and Wellbeing will work with the school to modify the recipes and menus in order to achieve compliance and will make the necessary modifications in the schools nutritional calculation programme that will prove the compliance with the nutrient-based standards.
5. Review of menus once they have been put into Nutritional Calculation Software
Nutrition and Wellbeing will review the output of the nutritional analysis software in order to assess the compliance of the school menus with the nutrient-based standards. Nutrition and Wellbeing staff will work with local catering staff to modify the menu so that it continues to include food that is acceptable to the local school population and so that the menu is compliant with the nutrient-based standards for school meals.
These changes will be discussed onsite with catering staff.
6. Support to make changes and to achieve compliance with School Food Regulations
Based on 2 and 5 above, Nutrition and Wellbeing will provide the school with the information that is required in order to prove compliance.
This is a package that will enable schools to move toward compliance through Nutrition and Wellbeing expert support on site and undertaking the nutritional analysis.
We are happy to discuss costs for schools and groups of school depending on what is needed.
More details can be obtained from the Nutrition and Wellbeing offices.
Telephone number: 0208 241 3904 and 07817 874 835.
