EMPHASIS ON FOOD AND HEALTH
School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme
 |
www.5aday.nhs.uk |
The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme is part of the 5 A DAY programme to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
Under the Scheme, all four to six year old children in LEA maintained infant, primary and special schools are entitled to a free piece of fruit or vegetable each school day.
Initially apples, pears, bananas & easy-peel citrus, were made available. However following the success of the scheme several other varieties of fruit and vegetables have been piloted – including a recent addition of carrots and cherry tomatoes.
The scheme was introduced in the East Midlands in 2003 and was initially financed through the New Opportunities Fund. However the programme later became mainstreamed within the Department of Health and from September 2006 the scheme is managed centrally as regional resources are diverted to support the wider healthy eating agenda for children and young people.
Piloting the Scheme
One of the most important considerations in developing the scheme was to make sure that it is as easy as possible for schools to operate. Over 500 schools took part in early pilots of the scheme throughout England in 2000 and 2001.
Key findings of these pilots included:
- 99% of schools thought the reliability of the fruit deliveries was either excellent or acceptable
- 93% of schools thought the overall quality of the fruit was good
- The majority of children were positive about the Scheme
- School staff regarded the Scheme as: a way of improving children's health (99%) and a supplement to children's diets (99%)
- 97% of schools regarded the Scheme as a support to teaching and learning about healthy eating
- Giving the fruit out in individual class groups has the advantage of providing a social time and a time for learning
- More than half of the survey schools (55%) had noticed an improvement in the ethos and atmosphere in the classes
NOP (National Opinion Polls) Research Study
A Study into Parents' and Teachers' Views of the National School Fruit Scheme
As the scheme expanded, the Department of Health has carried out further evaluation. The main objective of this NOP research study was to understand how successful the region-wide pilots were in 2003 from the parents' and teachers' perspective.
Parents reported that:
- over a quarter of children and their families ate more fruit at home after their school joined the scheme;
- nearly half of all parents questioned think the scheme has made them more aware of the importance of fruit for a healthy diet; and,
- 95% of parents say their child always, often or sometimes ate the fruit provided at school.
The East Midlands School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme
Currently 99% of eligible schools in the East Midlands are taking part in the scheme, with over 170,000 children benefiting each day.
For enquiries/information on the SFVS go to www.5aday.nhs.uk
Numbers of schools and children receiving free fruit from Summer 2004 in East Midlands
|
East Midlands Area |
Number of schools joined up |
Number eligible |
Percentage take up (%) |
Number of children receiving fruit |
|
Nottinghamshire |
270 |
271 |
99 |
30,159 |
|
Lincolnshire |
283 |
286 |
98 |
22,682 |
|
Leicester City |
77 |
78 |
99 |
13,801 |
|
Leicestershire |
226 |
227 |
99 |
20,614 |
|
Northamptonshire |
238 |
240 |
99 |
26,618 |
|
Rutland |
18 |
18 |
100 |
1,229 |
|
Derby |
62 |
62 |
100 |
10,663 |
|
Derbyshire |
310 |
311 |
99 |
26,894 |
|
Nottingham City |
81 |
81 |
100 |
11,691 |
| TOTAL |
1,565 |
1,574 |
99 |
164,351 |
Further studies
A number of regional and national studies have been undertaken which clearly identify a link between fruit and vegetable consumption and improved health.