Setting

Aviation House 125 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 08456 404040 F 020 7421 6855 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Mrs S Mears Headteacher Wendell Park Primary School Cobbold Road London W12 9LB

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Healthy eating in schools

Thank you for your hospitality and cooperation, and that of your staff, pupils and parents during my visit on 29 September 2009 to look at your work on healthier eating and school food provision.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Healthy eating in schools

The visit provided valuable information which will contribute to our evaluation and reporting. Published reports are likely to list the names of the institutions visited, but will not identify individual institutions within the report itself.

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Ofsted survey inspection programme – Healthy eating in schools

The evidence used to inform the judgements made included interviews with the headteacher and subject coordinators; scrutiny of school documentation, including the curriculum and governors’ minutes; analysis of the food and nutrient standards, and pupils’ work, and observation of three lessons, the breakfast club and the after-school club.

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The quality of provision to promote healthy eating

The quality of provision to promote healthy eating is good.

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standards

Compliance with the DCSF’s food-based and nutrient-based standards for school food is good.

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standards

 The school complies with all aspects of the nutrient-based standards for school lunches.  It complies with most of the food-based standards. There are just a few minor points to resolve, relating to providing more fruit in the breakfast club, the removal of butter from some bread at lunchtime and the replacement of squash, crackers and the cereal bars provided at the after- school club.

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The quality of the dining experience

The quality of the dining experience is good.

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The quality of the dining experience

 The queue in the dining hall moves swiftly and pupils have a reasonable time to select the items they prefer.  Lunch is a pleasant experience. The tables have attractive covers and the food is well-presented. Pupils are taught to talk to each other and to consider noise levels. They take responsibility for clearing up.  Staff set a good example by eating at the tables with the pupils, demonstrating good manners and social interaction to them.

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Helping pupils and parents to make healthier choices

Strategies for helping pupils and parents to make healthier choices are good.

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Helping pupils and parents to make healthier choices

 Pupils receive good guidance in their personal, social and health education lessons and in science lessons about healthy eating. In physical education and after-school activities, they are encouraged to be fit and active.  Parents are advised about healthy items suitable for lunch boxes and extra help is provided for parents or pupils who have difficulty in selecting appropriate items.

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Developing pupils’ knowledge and personal skills

Developing pupils’ knowledge and personal skills is good.

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Developing pupils’ knowledge and personal skills

 From the Nursery upwards, pupils have experience of tasting a good variety of fruit and vegetables.  They know about dental hygiene and how various drinks affect their teeth. Pupils are given a healthy balanced view about treats and celebration food.  An excellent, special breakfast club is supported by Chelsea football club for some Year 5 pupils; they benefit from extra support for their overall achievement.

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Teaching about healthier eating

Teaching about healthier eating is good.

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Teaching about healthier eating

 Pupils are taught well about how food helps them to grow and be healthy.  The younger pupils enjoy cooking but they have fewer opportunities to build on these skills when they are older.

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Planning the curriculum

Planning for the curriculum is good.  The curriculum is imaginative and the staff who coordinate the various subjects work well together to make it interesting and to ensure pupils revisit the topic in steadily more detail.  Good practical experiences are planned for the pupils. The new kitchen is just coming into use and staff have begun planning for older pupils to have a turn to cook. Older pupils were not aware of this.  A gardening club and plenty of sports clubs promote healthy activity but no cooking club is provided as an after-school activity.

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Leadership and management

 The school has a good, active approach to promoting healthy levels of activity and good food choices. You have introduced a new, family-style kitchen where pupils can learn cooking skills in an environment similar to that at home.  You or your deputy headteacher monitor the dining hall to ensure it provides a happy and social time where pupils learn to make good choices and develop good social skills. Any vulnerable child is discreetly but well supported.  You and other leaders promote robust physical activity and have sought grants and funding to promote this further. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the recent new climbing equipment in the Nursery and in the main school.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

 having a member of staff other than yourself responsible for food and nutrition across the whole school day so all venues meet the food standards  extending the opportunities for older pupils to cook and to build on their knowledge of how to make balanced meals and healthy snacks.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

I hope these observations are useful as you continue to develop healthier eating and provision for food in the school.

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Areas for improvement, which we discussed, included:

As I explained during the feedback, this letter will be copied to your local authority and will be available to the team for your next institutional inspection.

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