Resources

This section provides links to relevant school food resources which can be used in conjunction with our Good Practice Guide for School Food Initiatives.

If you have trouble accessing any of the documents, or would like to add a document, please contact Sinead at info@healthyfoodforall.com or +353 (0)86 3888 728.

This page is divided into five sections:

Application forms
Contact lists
Government Guidelines
Available programmes
Toolkits

1. Application forms

The School Meals Programme operated by the Department of Social and Family Affairs provides funding towards provision of food services for disadvantaged school children through two schemes:

The statutory Urban School Meals Scheme for primary schools
The non-statutory School Meals (Local Projects) Scheme

For more information on this programme visit the Department's website.

School Meals Local Project Scheme – to download the form click here.

EU Milk Scheme – to download the application form click here.

2. Contact lists

DEIS Schools
For a full list of all DEIS schools click here.

Community Nutrition and Dietetic Services
To find out about the community nutrition and dietetic services in your area contact your local health office. For more information click here.

3. Government Guidelines

Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Pre-School Services (2004) – the Health Promotion Unit, Department of Health and Children, Ireland, has developed food and nutrition guidelines for pre-school services. To download a copy click here.

Food and Nutritional Guidelines for Primary School Services (2003) – the Health Promotion Unit of the Department of Health and Children, Ireland, in conjunction with the Health Boards through the Community Nutrition and Dietetic Services and School’s Health Promotion unit have developed food and nutrition guidelines for primary school services. To download a copy click here.

Guidelines for Developing a Healthy Eating Policy in Post-Primary Schools (2008) – the Department for Health and Children, Ireland, and the Department for Education and Science released guidelines in 2008 on developing a healthy eating policy in post-primary schools. To download click here.

4. Available programmes

The EU School Milk Scheme is operated in Ireland by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The uptake of the scheme is mainly among primary school children. All pupils in regular attendance at primary schools can avail of the scheme during school days but not during holiday camps. The scheme includes a broad range of products, including whole milk, semi-, low- and flavoured milk, and yoghurt. For more information see our Good Practice Guide pp. 21-23 or click here

The Food Dudes Programme (FDP) is funded in Ireland by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and managed by Bord Bia. The FDP aims to positively change children's behaviour with regard to consumption of fruit and vegetables, both in school and at home, through a tailored programme. In Ireland, the FDP is being rolled out on a national basis to all primary schools. Schools are contacted in clusters of 12 to 15 schools, on a phased basis. For more information see our Good Practice Guide pp. 67-68 or click here. (It should be noted that the EU Fruit Scheme is being rolled out in Ireland through the Food Dudes programme).

Healthy Teeth for Life – a guide for children’s dental health written by Dr John S Walsh and published by the Dental Health Foundation. For more information click here.

The Mighty Mouth Schools Programme has been developed as a significant evidence based oral health promotion tool in the overall delivery of dental care services for young children living in Ireland. It was commissioned by the dental services in the Eastern Regional Health Authority Area (now the HSE) and was developed by the Dental Health Foundation, Ireland, in collaboration with the oral and general health promotion teams in the eastern region and in partnership with teachers, parents and children. The funding for the publication of this resource was provided by the Department of Health and Children. The Mighty Mouth Schools Programme is also supported by the Irish Expert Body on Fluorides and Health. For more information click here.

5. Toolkits

Growing Together – School Garden Tips and Healthy Recipes

The Organic Centre in Rossinver, Co. Leitrim have developed a booklet for School Gardens which provides healthy eating recipes using food from the school garden. The guide was developed by children from schools in Leitrim, Fermanagh and Cavan and funded by the International Fund for Ireland’s ‘Growing Together’ Programme 2008 – 2010. Copies of the guide can be purchased for €4 from The Organic Centre.

Interactive Food Pyramid – available on Nutrition and Health Foundation’s website. Click here to start.

Organic Gardening for Schools DVD - Bord Bia have developed a DVD that shows teachers and pupils how to plan, build, develop and maintain a school garden using organic principles. The work is based on four schools based in Ireland over an 18 month period. Children from all classes were involved in the project and the DVD demonstrates the children’s involvement in creating a garden. The project was funded by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Food. For more information click here.

Leaflet on Lunchboxes - safefood has produced a leaflet for parents/guardians in the Republic of Ireland on how to prepare a healthy lunchbox. Lunches provide around one third of our daily nutritional needs and it can be challenging trying to come up with new ideas for interesting and healthy lunchboxes. It’s also important to put some thought and planning into lunches, as good food habits set early in childhood can last a lifetime. For more information and to download a copy click here. For free copies of the leaflet contact safefood’s helpline on 1850 404 567.

Top tips for healthy lunchboxes – check out Nutrition and Health Foundation’s website. Click here for more information. Interactive CD on food and eating (8-10 year olds) - Taste Buds aims to help children enjoy learning about the origins and production of food and the importance of eating a balanced diet. The interactive resource consists of eight sessions which help teachers deliver the Food and Nutrition Component of the Social Personal Health Education curriculum. Each session takes 30-40 minutes and consists of Classroom Slides, Extension Activities, Teacher’s Notes and Homework suggestions. To find out more information and to access the resource click here. For free copies of the CD contact safefood’s helpline on 1850 404 567 (Ireland)

Drama Kit on the importance of hand washing (3rd-6th Class) - The “Hands of Doom” drama kit aims to teach primary school pupils the importance of hand washing. Taking the classic concept of good triumphing over evil, the kit can be used by teachers in the classroom to put on a drama show by pupils which uses comic characters, jokes and songs to communicate simple hygiene messages. The kit is aimed at 3rd-6th Class in Ireland and Key Stage 2 Drama in Northern Ireland. The kit also includes a CD soundtrack and a VHS recording of schools performing the drama. For more information click here. For free copies of the kit contact safefood’s helpline on 1850 404567 (Republic of Ireland) or 0800 0851683 (Northern Ireland).

Certified Food Safety Programme (Transition year students) - The safefood for life programme is a certified food safety programme that is being delivered in post primary schools across the island of Ireland. safefood for life aims to help students develop important food safety skills and allows them to sit an online food hygiene examination at the end of the course. On completion of the online examination successful students will meet the minimum training requirements to work in the food industry. The programme is aimed at Transition Year Students in Ireland and Key Stage 3 and 4 Home Economics in Northern Ireland. For more information click here. For copies of the resource, schools in Ireland should contact safefood’s helpline on 1850 404567. For schools in Northern Ireland contact the C2K Learning Northern Ireland school network. For details on registering your school for the online exam please contact safefood’s helpline at 1850 404567 (Republic of Ireland) or 0800 0851683 (Northern Ireland).

Deciphering food labeling (Junior Cycle) – “How they measure up” is a food labelling resource that aims to provide students with a better understanding of food labels and how to use them to make healthy and safe food choices. The resource was developed in Ireland in conjunction with the Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) support service and in conjunction with the Council for Curriculum Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in NI. The resource is aimed at Junior Cycle, SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education) in Ireland and Key Stage 3 and 4 Home Economics in Northern Ireland. To find out more information and to access the resource click here. For free copies of the resource contact safefood’s helpline on 1850 404 567 (Republic of Ireland) or 0800 0851683 (Northern Ireland).

Interactive Food Labels – available on Nutrition and Health Foundation’s website. Click here to start.

Booklet on Healthy eating for parents - this booklet aims to increase a child’s experience of healthy food from an early age and encourages a positive attitude towards a healthy diet. It tells two stories - Sally’s and Sammy’s. The idea is that you read either first - then read the other story, and finish with the fun, fold-out section in the middle, where Sammy realises the error of his ways and devotes himself to a lifetime of healthy lunches with his new friend Sally. For free copies of the book contact safefood’s helpline on 1850 404 567.

Booklet for parents and guardians - safefood Kid’s Food Challenge provides information, ideas and practical tools to encourage your child to eat healthier food. It’s a starting point to help get parents/guardians going. The chart is aimed at young children between the ages of two and eight. Older children may like to be involved if they think they are helping their younger brothers and sisters. For more information and to download a copy click here. For free copies of the resource contact safefood’s helpline on 1850 404 567.