The School
Fruit and Vegetable Scheme is part of the 5
A DAY programme to increase fruit and
vegetable consumption.
Under the Scheme, all four to six year old
children in LEA maintained infant, primary
and special schools will be entitled to a
free piece of fruit or vegetable each school
day. It was introduced after the NHS Plan
2000 included a commitment to implement a
national school fruit scheme by 2004.
Following the success of the early pilots,
£42million from the New Opportunities Fund,
the largest of the lottery good cause
distributors, has been supporting the
expansion of the scheme region by region. By
April 2004, the scheme was available in the
West Midlands, London, the North West, the
East Midlands and the North East, covering 1
million children. The Department of Health
in January 2004 announced it would take over
funding, at a cost of £77million over the
next 2 years. The remaining regions of South
East, South West, Yorkshire & the Humber,
and East of England will join the scheme in
Autumn Term 2004. |
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In September carrots and tomatoes were added to
apples, pears, bananas & easy-peel citrus, and so
the Scheme’s name has changed to the School Fruit
and Vegetable Scheme.
Piloting the Scheme
One of the most important considerations in
developing the scheme was to make sure that it is as
easy as possible for schools to operate. Over 500
schools took part in early pilots of the scheme
throughout England in 2000 and 2001.
Key findings of these pilots included:
99% of schools thought the reliability of the fruit
deliveries was either excellent or acceptable
93% of schools thought the overall quality of the
fruit was good
The majority of children were positive about the
Scheme
School staff regarded the Scheme as: a way of
improving children's health (99%) and a supplement
to children's diets (99%)
97% of schools regarded the Scheme as a support to
teaching and learning about healthy eating
Giving the fruit out in individual class groups has
the advantage of providing a social time and a time
for learning
More than half of the survey schools (55%) had
noticed an improvement in the ethos and atmosphere
in the classes involved in the Scheme.
Question for schools:
Are we eligible?
The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme is a
school-based scheme.
• If
you are an LEA maintained
infant, primary or special
school with children aged 4-6;
you will be eligible to join the
School Fruit and Vegetable
Scheme.
• Latest figures show that 99% of
eligible schools have chosen to
participate in the Scheme and
nearly two million children
receive a free piece of fruit or
vegetable each school day.
• We hope that this guidance will
offer some practical insights
into what works well, but
schools are free to implement
the Scheme in the way they think
best. There are very few
absolute requirements.
• Fruit and vegetables help set
you up for a healthier
lifestyle. Best of all, there is
so much variety to choose from,
all year long, there's enough to
keep even the fussiest eaters
happy.
• To get the best health benefits,
your 5 A DAY portions should
include a combination of a
variety of fruit and vegetables.
That's 5 portions altogether,
not 5 portions of fruit and 5
portions of veg.
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Here are 5 great reasons to eat 5 portions of
fruit and vegetables A DAY
a. They're packed with vitamins and minerals.
b. They can help you to maintain a healthy weight.
c. They're an excellent source of fibre and
antioxidants.
d. They help reduce the risk of heart disease,
stroke and some cancers.
e. They taste delicious and there's so much variety
to choose from.
Add some crunch to your sandwiches with lettuce,
tomatoes, cucumber or grated carrots
About 5 A DAY
Everywhere we look, there’s an expert ready to tell
us what we can and can’t eat, how we should lead our
lifestyles, what’s good for us and what isn’t.
Sometimes it can all seem a bit too much. But there
is one message that remains consistent – eating more
fruit and vegetables is essential for good health.
According to research, the average person in the UK
eats less than 3 portions of fruit and vegetables a
day, instead of the recommended 5. This is even
lower amongst young people. It’s a worrying fact.
The
5 A DAY programme aims to change the way people
think, and highlight the healthier benefits of
eating more fruit and vegetables.
You’ll be surprised at just how easy it is to eat
more fruit and vegetables – and it’s the tastiest
way to maintain a healthier lifestyle long term.
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