Healthy Schools Summary

"A Healthy School is a school which actively seeks to promote and improve the health and well-being of the whole school community through all aspects of school life, so that pupils are enabled to maximise and enrich their aspirations, levels of attainment and personal development."

St Paul's has achieved the Buckinghamshire Healthy Schools Standard and the National Healthy Schools Status

This is a major achievement and reflects the commitment to our whole school approach to positive outcomes for our children and also to the well-being of our staff, so that our pupils can get the most out of the educational experience.



How is St. Paul's a Healthy School?

*We discover the importance of food and healthy eating.
* We know the importance of good relationships with others and drug education.
* Children learn to feel safe and learn how to keep ourselves safe.

*We have the opportunity to learn about being useful members of society.
* A school environment where everyone feels valued - adults and children alike.
*We learn how to take part in all sorts of physical games and enjoy ourselves.
* We celebrate other cultures. Feeling good about ourselves and helping others to feel the same.
* We promote the importance of mental health and well-being amongst the whole school community 


Healthy Eating

Healthy eating is an ongoing focus within school.

Children are allowed to have access to water at all times during the day. This is in response to research that shows that children have better attention spans when dehydration is avoided. The children can have a water bottle in the classroom at all times, however the water must not be sweetened in any way.  Please do not let them carry the water bottle in their book bags as we have had quite a few water damaged books.

We would like to further encourage the children to be aware of the importance of a balanced nutritional diet to maintain a healthy body. This is achieved through an innovative education course accessed by all classes called Funtrition. Our infant children receive free daily fruit from the Government Fruit Scheme.

Please help us to help children to make healthy choices by not including sweets in school lunchboxes. Children need to bring a drink in their lunchbox in addition to the water bottle they have in school.  Please do not put soft drinks or cordial/squash in water bottles. It is appropriate that children should have a drink with their lunch such as fruit juice or milk. 

Lunches in school
Our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 children have access to free hot school meals each day.  This service is provided by Dolce, a nationwide supplier of school lunches.  Our 'hub kitchen' is in Bourne End ensuring a minimal carbon footprint to deliver the meals. Parents of children in Key Stage 2 can purchase a lunch for their child through the Live Kitchen website, setting up a direct debit for payment purposes.  (Further details can be obtained from the school office).  Any child may opt out of the hot school lunch and bring in a packed lunch.

We try to keep lunches in hygienic conditions by placing all lunch boxes on a trolley in class at the start of the day, but we have no refrigeration facilities.

Food poisoning bacteria require time and a suitable temperature in which to multiply to levels that could cause harm. Lunches packed in the morning could easily be contaminated by lunch time unless certain precautions are taken. We are also aware of allergies and at present have a child with a VERY severe nut allergy and as such would request that NO foods containing nuts, or nut products are put into lunch boxes and that children are requested not to share food. Please NO sesame seeds either.

   1. Try to chill food before packing it.
   2. Use an insulated bag.
   3. Avoid potential contamination of food being prepared by keeping raw and cooked foods separately in your refrigerator and during preparation.
   4. Wash out lunch boxes thoroughly every day.
   5. Avoid high risk foods such as: cooked meats, rice, shellfish, soft cheeses, peanut butter, pate, soft boiled eggs.
   6. Use low risk foods such as: hard cheese, cottage cheese, cheese spreads, bovril, marmite, hard boiled eggs, yoghurts, fruit, raisins.

We also encourage children to make healthy options when eating as part of their development programme. You can encourage this by putting healthy food in lunch boxes.

   1. Increase fibre with wholemeal bread and crackers, fresh fruits and salads.
   2. Avoid sugary/chocolate snacks as these also harm teeth.
   3. Milk, water or fruit juices are preferable to fizzy or sweetened drinks.