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Healthy helpings

Jamie Oliver's mission to reform school meals must seem like a thankless task at times.

There's no doubt the television chef has worked wonders with his campaign to ditch the junk from school menus.

But his message has not found favour with everyone, and he has been pilloried by some parents who are convinced their offspring cannot survive with a constant supply of chips and coke.

The so-called Jamie Oliver' effect is said to be responsible for a drop nationally in the number of children opting for school meals.

According to a BBC survey more than 70 per cent of local authorities questioned blamed the reduction in take-up on the TV chef's campaign which has led to an overhaul of the school dinners system.

More and more stories emerge of parents and children being in revolt about the new healthy strategy - with one school cook even allegedly being threatened.

As stories from the junk food revolt grow more and more outrageous it would be easy to believe that youngsters everywhere were pining for their turkey twizzlers.

But in some parts of the country at least nothing could be further from the truth.

Tasty treat

In the Leeds and Bradford education authority areas, which take in Ilkley and Otley, children appear to be guzzling down healthy cuisine without a murmur of protest.

A spokeswoman for Education Leeds, said: "Leeds' schools have generally responded positively to the changes brought about by the new school meal standards. We know from our work with various youth forums that many young people want to eat healthily and encourage healthy eating amongst their peers and are actively involved in school activity to promote healthy lifestyles.

"We are producing a detailed plan to help schools meet the Government's challenge to change the food and drink they offer and improve the health and well being of children and young people. This plan involves investment and education in health promotion, improvements to equipment and dining areas and specialised training for catering staff.

"Leeds already has some of the best healthy schools practice in the country, with nearly every school in the city now engaged in the Leeds Healthy School Standard and we hope to build on this work by continuing to work closely with schools, youth groups, families and health partners to help them achieve the standard."

Meanwhile in Bradford district the new healthier meals have been extremely well received, according to a spokesman for the council service responsible for them.

Roger Sheard, operations manager for Education Contract Services said the response had been extremely positive'.

He said Bradford had embarked on its own programme of change in the summer of 2005 - in advance of Government legislation, and every effort had been made to communicate with parents about the changes.

"Many of the changes - exceeding the Government's recommendations - have already been built in," he said.

Mr Sheard said additional equipment had been introduced into some primary schools, which would allow fresh food to be cooked on site.

He added: "We are market leaders nationally in terms of locally sourcing fresh produce."

He said Bradford was also in the process of developing courses not just for catering staff but also for parents and children.

"We have had some tremendous success, particularly within the Ilkley area - for example Burley and Woodhead," he said.

Mr Sheard said the uptake of school dinners at Burley and Woodhead was 78 per cent, at Burley Oaks it was 72 per cent and at Ben Rhydding it was 84 per cent - compared to an uptake nationally of 50 per cent.

He said: "The Jamie Oliver campaign had a detrimental effect nationally because the perception was that all schools were the same - and we lost about five per cent."

But he said the figures for the Bradford area were now very good, and the healthier meals had been generally welcomed.

"There are certain schools where it has been more challenging - but on the whole it has been well received," he said.

They are views which are fully supported by the experiences on the ground from schools themselves.

James Vincent, of The Whartons in Otley, said pupils now had far more choice, with menus including sandwiches, fruit, fresh vegetables and salads.

But that did not mean all the old favourites were completely out.

"Chips are served, but in a controlled fashion, " he said.

"I have not heard any grumbles. Generally the children seem quite happy, and I have certainly not received any complaints."

As well as preparing food for itself, the Whartons also supplied meals to Westgate Primary. And Mr Vincent said they had recently been congratulated by a governor at that school about the standard of the meals they were supplying.

"All in all there have been a lot of improvements," he said.

He said the school was now aiming to get the National Healthy Schools Level One award.

As part of that, the Whartons is asking children not to bring sweets, crisps or chocolate for their morning and afternoon snacks, and Mr Vincent said parents had been very supportive'.

Among those schools which have already received the national health standard is the Sacred Heart School in Ilkley, and last year the school worked with the catering service to achieve the award.

Now the head, Aileen Madden, meets with the catering service every term to ensure a healthy menu, which offers extensive choice, including plenty of fruit, yoghurt, fresh vegetables and salad.

"We have a very healthy menu," she said. "The children really enjoy it, and devour anything we give them."

Mrs Madden said the caterers provided a very personal service to meet the needs of individual schools.

"We are delighted," she said. "The freshly cooked vegetables are delicious. The salads are lovely and there is lots of pasta and rice - which the children tend to like."

And healthy meals are also going down a storm at Burley and Woodhead primary, according to school cook Mrs Janet Schofield.

"We started doing them a year ago at this school and they are very popular," she said.

She said the numbers taking school dinners had risen despite some initial fears that the children might prove resistant to healthier meals.

"They soon got used to them, and it has been very smooth here," she said. "They children have taken to it brilliantly."

Benton Park assistant head Mr Christopher Donohue said students had been weaned off the chips'.

"I think because it has been introduced quite gradually in this area and it has not been a culture shock."

He said figures were slightly down but there had been no protest about the new healthy eating regime.

"We have not had anyone passing fish and chips through the gates," he said.

9:48am Thursday 30th November 2006

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