School children to be 'locked in' at lunch time to make them eat school dinners
Jamie Oliver backed the idea of keeping school children in at lunchtimes
Schoolchildren could be locked in at lunchtime to prevent them heading for chip shops and burger joints to buy junk food.
Education chiefs in Denbighshire are frustrated that pupils have turned up their noses at the healthy menus introduced last year. They hope that by locking the school gates, youngsters will have no choice but to use the school canteen and eat something nutritious.
The plan was last night backed by celebrity chef and healthy school dinner crusader Jamie Oliver in an exclusive interview with the Daily Post.
He said: "Kids should be kept on the school premises at lunchtime, so it will be interesting to see how the Denbighshire situation progresses.
"It's also important that the school food is tasty, that the dinner ladies are being supported, that the dining room is good and not too crowded and that the kids have enough time to get their food and eat it during break.
"A lot of kids just want hand-held food so they can eat it and go. That's why I took food like nutritious burgers and wraps into the playground in the last programme with great results.
"I also think that if the kids won't come to you, take the food to the kids with satellite kitchens that can go in the playground."
Locking up pupils at lunchtime is one of a number of options being considered by education chiefs in Denbighshire to increase the take up of their healthy dinners, although the final choice would be a matter for individual schools.
A report to go before the county's resources scrutiny committee tomorrow details the latest developments.
It states: "One of the key issues affecting the uptake of school meals at secondary level is thought to be the lunchtime policies of individual schools.
"The group has developed guidance and a model policy encouraging schools to retain pupils on the school sites over the lunch break period.
"Governing bodies, headteachers and teaching unions are being consulted on the document."
A Denbighshire spokesman said it was hoped that the policy would "ensure pupils are given a healthy food option".
He said: "Schools and the council have a duty of care towards its pupils throughout the school day, including lunchtimes, and this policy would look at only allowing those with parental consent to leave school for lunch.
"This is one of a number of initiatives to increase take-up of school meals. "The council has included more fresh vegetables and salads on the menu and a reduction in convenience foods.
"A leaflet has been produced and is being distributed to parents this week containing details of our brand-new menus and other information relating to the service and free school meals."
Costly efforts to encourage school kids to eat healthily in Denbighshire were found to be risking the future of the service this time last year.
Denbighshire councillors were last year told the county's pupils were not taking up healthy food options, with 40 per cent more pupils eating school dinners when fast food was served.
Coupled with increasing costs in healthy ingredients, the county admitted it was considering the "ongoing viability" of the service.
It has since devoted £120,000 to solving the problem, and set up a working group to "understand the complex issues behind individual decisions to take or refuse school meals."
Last night, the head of Ysgol Brynhyfryd in Ruthin, Eleri Jones, said the school would continue to allow older pupils out, because of their need for independence. She said: "I am not overly concerned about what they do go and eat in town. There is a wide variety of food that they bring back." But younger pupils should remain on school grounds, and the next big step was ensuring they go for the healthier options.
School children to be 'locked in' at lunch time to make them eat school dinners | the Daily Mail