The Food for Life Partnership
The Food for Life Partnership is a network of schools and communities aiming to transform food awareness in schools and communities throughout England. The partnership links together the Focus on Food Campaign, Garden Organic and the Health Education Trust, who are able to share their practical expertise.
Food for Life Awards
The Food for Life Partnership Mark awards achievement at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. For each award, there is a set of criteria which are centred around four areas of development:
- Food leadership
- Food quality and provenance
- Food education
- Food culture and community involvement
Shropshire School Meals Service is pleased to support schools in achieving their awards, and wants to encourage more schools to take part in the scheme. The service can provide advice and support by forging strong links with schools. It believes that local, seasonal and even home-grown school food is an integral part of a child's education, particularly within a rural county.
Gold Award
- St Andrew's C of E Primary, Shifnal
- St Peter's C of E Primary, Wem
Silver Award
- Shropshire School Meals Service
- Hadnall Primary
- Oakmeadow C of E Primary, Bayston Hill
- Severndale School, Shrewsbury
- Wilfred Owen Primary, Shrewsbury
- Whitchurch C of E Infant & Nursery
Bronze Award
- Aylestone College, Hereford
- Bishop Hooper C of E Primary, Caynham
- Bomere Heath C of E Primary
- Church Preen C of E Primary
- Claverley C of E Primary
- Cleobury Mortimer Primary
- Clive Primary
- John Maesfield HIgh School, Ledbury
- Kinnerley C of E Primary
- Market Drayton Junior
- St George's Junior, Shrewsbury
- St Georges Primary, Kidderminster
- St John's Catholic Primary, Bridgnorth
- Stottesdon C of E Primary
- Sundorne Infants
- Thomas Adams School, Wem
- Trinity C of E Primary, Ford
- Welshampton C of E Primary, Ellesmere
- Whixall C of E Primary, Whitchurch
- Worfield Endowed CE
- Worthen C of E Primary
To gain the Bronze award, schools serve seasonal meals of which 75% of the dishes are freshly prepared by trained school cooks. Pupils and parents are actively involved in planning improvements to menus, with each child having the opportunity to visit a farm and take part in cooking and food-growing activities during their time at their school.
Food for Life Flagship Schools
Flagship schools act as an example of good food culture for their community and other schools. It is hoped that all schools throughout England will have a flagship school within easy reach, so they can see for themselves what can be achieved. In Shropshire we have 3 flagship schools:
- Oakmeadow CE Primary and Nursery School, Bayston Hill
- St Andrews, CE Primary School, Shifnal
- St Peter’s CE Primary School, Wem
- Thomas Adams School, Wem
The Food for Life Partnership state:
"Our mission is to reach out through schools to give communities access to seasonal, local and organic food and to provide the skills they need to cook and grow fresh food for themselves. We want a new generation to explore how their food choices impact on their health and that of the planet, and to rediscover the pleasure of taking time to enjoy real food."