'Please sir, can I have some more?'

Photo: Jan Harwood

Clean plates all round: Headteacher Kevan Crowther, Councillor Keith Swift, lunch time supervisor Amanda Connellan and youngsters from Heybrook primary school are ready for more.

Second helpings were the order of the day when a leading councillor tried out the borough's healthy range of school meals earlier today.

Cabinet member Councillor Keith Swift joined pupils at Heybrook Community Primary school to try out the healthy options on offer and was surprised at how much things have changed since his days in the classroom.

"I've really been amazed at the variety of freshly cooked, healthy meals on offer. It's a far cry from the days of stodgy pies and lumpy mash potato!", he said.

"Our children can get one third of their daily nutritional requirements from these meals and as children return to school this week, I would urge parents and carers to seriously think about giving their children school meals if they don't already. Improving the health of our young people is one of our key targets and what we have on offer is seasonal, healthy, nutritious and delicious."

Heybrook head teacher Kevan Crowther said: "School meals are an integral part of our school day so it is important that the children get the right nutrition, which they certainly do here at Heybrook."

Those claims were backed by lunch time supervisor Amanda Connellan said: "Dinner times are a chance for the children to sit down together with their friends and have an enjoyable and healthy lunch.

"A few years ago we would have had to coax some of the children to eat healthily, but now they are all making healthy choices for themselves.

"It's common sense, but a well fed child is much more likely to have better concentration, an improved attention span, and be more alert in class. By improving the food, we're making a real difference to how well our children do at school and parents like the fact that school meals are now healthy and hassle free."