food & drink policy

Statement of intent

 

This pre-school regards snack and meal times as an important part of the pre-school's day. Eating represents a social time for children and adults and helps children to learn about healthy eating.

 

Aim

 

At snack times, we aim to provide nutritious food, which meets the children's individual dietary needs. We aim to meet the full requirements of Ofsted's Care Standards on Food and Drink (Standard 8).  At mealtimes, the parents provide a packed lunch.

 

Methods

 

· Before a child starts to attend the pre-school, we find out from parents their children's dietary needs, including any allergies. 

· We record information about each child's dietary needs in her/his registration record and parents sign the record to signify that it is correct.

· We regularly consult with parents to ensure that our records of their children's dietary needs - including any allergies - are up-to-date.  Parents sign the up-dated record to signify that it is correct.

· We display current information about individual children's dietary needs so that all staff and volunteers are fully informed about them.

· We implement systems to ensure that children receive only food and drink which is consistent with their dietary needs and their parents' wishes.

· We provide nutritious food at all snacktimes, avoiding large quantities of fat, sugar and salt and artificial additives, preservatives and colourings.

· We include the following elements in meals which are offered: 

              -            protein for growth; and            

              -            essential minerals and vitamins in raw foods, salads and fruits.

· We include foods from the diet of each of the children's cultural backgrounds, providing children with familiar foods and introducing them to new ones.

· We require staff to show sensitivity in providing for children's diets and allergies.  Staff  do not use a child's diet or allergy as a label for the child or make a child feel singled out because of her/his diet or allergy.

· We organise meal and snack times so that they are social occasions in which children and staff participate.

· We use meal and snack times to help children to develop independence through making choices, serving food and drink and feeding themselves.

· We have fresh drinking water constantly available for the children.  We inform the children about how to obtain the water and that they can ask for water at any time during the session/day.

· We inform parents who provide food for their children about the storage facilities available in the pre-school.

· We have rules about children sharing and swapping their food with one another in order to protect children with food allergies.

· For children who drink milk, we provide whole and pasteurised milk.

 

This policy was adopted at the EGM of Little Owls Pre-school held on 19th August 2007.

Little Owls Nursery, PO Box 22, The Pavilion, Recreation Ground, Great Milton,

Oxon, OX44 7WG Telephone: 07808 236251 | www.littleowls.org.uk

Patron: Raymond Blanc O.B.E | Registered Charity: 308310