The national accreditation scheme, launched by the charity in March and highlighted in the government’s national School Food Plan earlier this month, is designed to help schools and early years settings show parents their commitment to helping children eat well.
It means that the Manchester Health Academy has met tough criteria on its food policy, menus, the dining experience children have, staff training, giving children opportunities to learn to cook and how actively staff encourage children to eat healthily, thanks to practices and menus delivered by Manchester City Council’s catering arm, Manchester Fayre.
Helen Walker, health/humanities curriculum leader from the Manchester Health Academy, said: “We make sure that our students are equipped for the future by emphasising the importance of a healthy lifestyle. We work closely with our lead sponsor, the Central Manchester University Hospitals Foundation Trust to embed health across the curriculum. We are delighted to report that the Manchester Health Academy is the first Academy in the country to be awarded the new Children’s Food Trust Award.”
Chief executive of the Children’s Food Trust, Linda Cregan, added: “Anyone can say that they provide good food for children, but do they really deliver? Parents so often ask what they should be looking for in the meals that their school provides, and on their approach to helping children learn about food.
"This award is a way to spot those which really are doing a fantastic job on food, and the reassurance that they have the thumbs-up from our experts. Manchester Health Academy sets a great example – congratulations to the whole team.”