The BNF is committed to supporting schools and teachers through its on-going food and nutrition Education Programme, Food - a fact of life, which includes the publication Establishing a Whole School Food Policy, which was produced jointly with the Department for Education and Skills and the Design and Technology Association in 2003.

The document was the first of its kind and included information on how to establish and implement a whole school food policy and an audit tool to monitor and evaluate the policy once it was in place.

The BNF believe that for children to be healthy in school and for the awareness of issues surrounding food to be raised, establishing and implementing a policy using a whole school approach is crucial to supporting good practice. The Blueprint will enable schools to undertake the first steps in this process and support those which have already achieved healthy school status.

Stephanie Valentine, Education Director of the BNF said ‘It is essential that children receive consistent messages about healthy eating, both through the formal curriculum and through the food and drink provided at school. It is encouraging that this useful initiative brings together diet, activity and health. I hope that schools, and all those associated with education, will feel supported by this comprehensive approach’.