As Ofsted look to regain lost ground on School auditing, one focus to prove an outstanding school status, is the school lunch provision and healthy eating awareness.

Ofsted’s new Common Inspection Framework includes a judgment on personal development, behaviour and welfare. As part of reaching this judgment, inspectors will look at the extent to which schools are successfully supporting pupils to gain “knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy” and “make informed choices about healthy eating, [and] fitness” throughout their entire inspection. The School Food Plan has produced this practical guidance to help school leaders and governing bodies adopt a whole school approach to food. It is designed to be used alongside other School Food Plan resources including the Headteacher Checklist and What Works Well Website. Go to www.schoolfoodplan.com/ofsted

 

Red Box can assist with regular auditing to ensure a developing service works towards many of these goals. We are also able to provide external and independent verification that School Food Standards are being met.

We recently completed a tender with a local Trust who sought to create a School Food and Catering Policy and Charter, which encapsultated feedback from pupils, teachers and business staff. This charter formed the basis of the tender qualitative questions and responses, to ensure a tender process engaged as many stakeholders as possible in apppointing a catering partner and that prospective catering partners could clearly identify the requirements. The Charter has been incorporated into the contract terms to provide measurable and quantified achievement of all aspirational goals as the service beds in.

Through their charter, they have created a sense of identiy and ownership of their service, and ensured their catering partner will meet the requirements within the food provision to achieve an outstanding service and hopefully and outstanding ofsted report for this area.