Ten primary schools top rated for healthy meals

Schools in the borough of Rochdale have been commended for their commitment towards providing and promoting healthier food options to their pupils

Ten primary schools in the borough of Rochdale have achieved the top rating for their school meals catering from the Greater Manchester Healthy Catering Awards.

The 'Excellence' award certifies that the schools are leading the way in offering a range of food and drinks to their pupils that are lower in saturated fat, trans fats, sugar and salt.

They also offer a portion of fruit or vegetables every day, actively promote the healthier options and hold a level 5 food hygiene rating in the kitchen.

The schools who achieved the excellence award are:

• St Gabriel's C of E Primary School, Middleton
• St Peter's C of E Primary School, Rochdale
• Alkrington Primary School, Middleton
• Moorhouse Primary School, Milnrow
• Healey Primary School , Rochdale
• Belfield Community School, Rochdale
• Harwood Park County Primary School, Heywood
• Ashfield Valley Primary School, Rochdale MBC
• Brownhill School, Rochdale
• Lowerplace Primary School, Rochdale

The schools' catering teams and head teachers attended an award ceremony at Rochdale Town Hall on Friday, 12 May 2017.

Mr Aelred Whelan, head teacher at St Peter's C of E Primary School, said: "The healthy catering award highlights the hard work and effort we've put into to ensuring our pupils have a healthy, well balanced and nutritional meal every day.

"The health, wellbeing and safety of our pupils is something we take extremely seriously so I am pleased to say we are providing them with not only healthy food to keep them well now, but important lifestyle advice that they can take with them throughout their lives.

"We've noticed our children are much more energetic, enthused and eager to learn, it's amazing what less sugar and more fruit or vegetables can do."

The awards were set up to help catering businesses, including restaurants, pubs, takeaways, cafes, shops and schools, provide healthier options in a bid to reduce levels of heart disease, obesity, type-2 diabetes and some cancers in Greater Manchester.

It is hoped that all primary schools in the borough will achieve the excellence award by 2020.

Mark Widdup, Rochdale Borough Council's director of neighbourhoods, said: "Providing a healthy and balanced school meal is vitally important to ensure children can grow, develop and lead healthy, happy lives. 

"Schemes such as these will go a long way to tackling childhood obesity so I would like to urge every school in the borough to do their part in promoting healthy eating."