Eat Smart Sheffield Launch!

Published: 14 September 2019
Learn Sheffield has been commissioned by Sheffield City Council to develop and deliver a Whole School & Settings Approach to Food and Nutrition Programme. Named ‘Eat Smart Sheffield’, this 5-year programme will focus on encouraging and supporting pupils, their families and the wider community to adopt healthier eating behaviours.

Eat Smart Sheffield Launch!

Learn Sheffield has been commissioned by Sheffield City Council to develop and deliver a Whole School & Settings Approach to Food and Nutrition Programme. Named ‘Eat Smart Sheffield’, this 5-year programme will focus on encouraging and supporting pupils, their families and the wider community to adopt healthier eating behaviours.

The programme will work with all primary and secondary schools, as well as some additional settings including Special Schools and Pupil Referral Units, and has two main aims:

  1. To give schools the tools they need to make long term changes to their food culture and their curriculum to support healthy behaviours
  2. To give pupils and their families the confidence, skills and knowledge they need to cook, grow and enjoy good quality affordable food, as well as increasing understanding of food sources and sustainability

The programme forms part of the Sheffield Food and Wellbeing Strategy which aims to increase the proportion of people eating a well-balanced diet, reduce the prevalence of conditions related to poor diet including obesity, and for the greatest improvements to be made in the poorest parts of the city.   A number of themes run through the strategy which address the known influences on food choice and behaviour change including the food environment, information and support, and health inequalities, and the programme will ultimately contribute to reducing both childhood obesity and child tooth decay in the 20% most deprived areas of the city.

We will be working with a number of key partners including Food for Life, Sheffield Hallam University and Zest, as well as tapping into additional local and national food-related organisations and initiatives.  Making use of well-established resources and best practice we will ensure a quality, impactful programme is developed and implemented, benefiting our children, our schools and the city as a whole.        

As part of the programme, all schools can expect a vast array of resources, support and guidance including:

  • Access to a variety of Food for Life resources including evaluation tools, training and awards
  • Links to relevant local and national food organisations and healthy eating campaigns
  • Data dashboard with national, city-wide and local area public health data
  • Ability to share learning and best practice with other schools

 

In addition to the universal offer, each year a small number of targeted schools will receive a more intensive support package.  Such schools will receive a minimum of one year’s support, and can expect a higher level of intervention including:

  • Help to set up and facilitate a ‘School Nutrition Action Group’ (or similar) with bespoke School Action Plan
  • Additional data collection and analysis resulting in informed support
  • Set up support for Gardening and/or Cooking Clubs
  • Food for Life priority training

With 1 in 3 of our children leaving primary school overweight or obese, and almost a third of our 5-year olds suffering from tooth decay, it is evident that there is work to be done.  Eat Smart Sheffield will contribute to  promoting and improving knowledge and awareness of food and nutrition, working with schools to positively impact the health and wellbeing of our children and young people -  a programme with big ambitions and potentially huge benefits for the whole of Sheffield.

For more information about Eat Smart Sheffield:

Follow us on Twitter: @eatsmartsheff

E-Mail: eatsmartsheffield@learnsheffield.co.uk

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