At St Mary’s CE Junior School we encourage children to develop healthy lifestyles by considering what constitutes a healthy meal, as well as encouraging children to take plenty of exercise both during P.E lessons and through active playtime. Evidence from current research shows that:
One of the easiest ways to ensure that your child gets all the nutrients they need is for them to have a hot school dinner provided through our partnership with Caterlink.
It can be difficult to always prepare your child's lunch or let them sneak in a couple of extra treats, but having a mixed and balanced lunch will allow your child to feel fuller and concentrate more.
St Mary's is a nut free school. We have a number of students in school who have severe nut allergies and can be seriously affected by someone else who is eating or may have recently eaten nuts. Please ensure your children understand why we are nut free, which also includes Nutella. In a healthy lunch, you should look to include:
- A starchy food such as bread, rice or pasta
- A portion of fruit and a portion of vegetables
- A dairy product such as cheese or yogurt
-Protein such as eggs, meat or some cheeses.
In Hampshire, almost one-third (32%) of Year 6 students and one-fifth (21%) of Reception-aged children are overweight or very overweight. We also know that 30% of children aged five to 19 in the county do less than 30 minutes of physical activity daily, with those from disadvantaged backgrounds facing further barriers to accessing activity.