Getting children into healthy eating habits

HEADTEACHER Kirsten Brown knows how important it is to sow the seeds of a healthy diet early in children's lives.

- GILES SHELDRICK

She makes it her immovable commitment to help pupils achieve their best at Gilbrook School - a maintained special primary school for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties in Wirral, Merseyside and lifestyle is front and centre in that mission.

Ms Brown said: "It is important for healthy eating to be introduced in all areas of children's lives.

"We need to give them solid foundations for them to build on so, as they progress into adulthood, they can continue the healthy habits.

"This means it becomes generational, so they pass on these habits to their children.

"Part of the role of schools is to prepare pupils for adulthood and this is just one component of it.

"As a school we look at the whole child, not just the academic side.

"We also know that pupils with good diets are able to concentrate better and will achieve more in class, as well as reducing absence." Gilbrook is one of 400 schools signed up to the Tesco Fruit & Veg For Schools initiative - a first-of-itskind scheme that involves up to 140,000 primary and secondary kids eating at least one piece of fresh fruit or vegetables every day.