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School Lunches

Food Policy
 
Sensitivities can play a huge part in each individual student’s daily lives at Ripplevale School
and add to difficulties experienced when facing the demands of their environment. Smell,
taste and texture are sensitivities in many students at the school and can significantly
influence the lessons and diet they are able to access.

The school is mindful, despite guidance, that packed lunches and food choices in many of
our students’ cases are restricted in nature as a result of their Autism, associated conditions
and sensitivities, not, a result of the parents’ choices. As a result of this, diet may also invoke
an emotional response from students and parents due to lifelong struggles with food.

The school provides this information as a guide only to those able to access it. Please see
the Food Policy under Policies page.

The school through sensitively approached exposure during lunch times (where students
can and are encouraged to, look at, smell and try different foods even if they eat packed
lunches), and food technology lessons (where students can smell, taste, feel foods and take
the finished product home to the family) strive to create a caring, controlled and safe
environment for the students to expand the range of foods they are comfortable to eat.


Packed Lunches
 
The school’s packed lunch policy is developed using guidance from the Children’s Food Trust. The guidance aims to support pupils to have a balanced lunch and best prepare them for learning in the afternoon.

Packed lunches should aim to include:

  • Some starchy foods such as bread (sliced bread, pitta bread, wraps, bagels), pasta,
    potatoes, couscous; choose wholegrain where possible

  • 1 portion of fruit and 1 portion of vegetables or salad

  • Dairy food such as cheese or yoghurt

  • Meat, fish, or another source of protein such as eggs, beans and pulses, hummus, falafel

  • Oily fish once every 3 weeks e.g. sardines or salmon


Healthy packed lunch guidance NHS

Lunch box ideas including recipes from Tesco

Snacks

 

In all years, a snack is provided during the morning breaktime. This is a choice of fruit and on a Friday a hot snack. Pupils are able to bring food into school to eat at break-times and encourage to follow the school’s guidance on what is an acceptable snack and why. In the event that a student’s remains after school, snacks are provided by the school and include Sandwiches and fruit. Pupils are allowed to bring in their own after-school snacks and are again encouraged to follow school guidance on what is a healthy snack and why.

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Healthy Schools Rating Scheme

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The school is proud to have taken part in the Healthy Schools Rating Scheme and has been awarded a silver rating.

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