Top chef Brian Turner is presenting the Gold and Silver Food for Life Partnership Awards to 19 schools from across the country on Wednesday (7 December) for their commitment to transforming school food culture.
The awarded schools are:
Gold
Chestnuts Primary School, Haringey, London
Collaton St Mary, Paignton, Devon
Crich
Great Missenden C of E Combined Primary School, Buckinghamshire
Farley Hill Primary School, Reading
Takeley Primary School, Takeley, Hertfordshire
Silver
All Saints CEVC Primary, Bury St Edmonds
Carshalton Boys Sports College, Carshalton, Surrey
Cowes Primary, Isle of Wight
Dereham Neatherd High School, Dereham, Norfolk
Felsted Preparatory, Dunmow, Essex
Heathwood Lower Shool, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire
Howard Junior School, King's Lynn, Norfolk
Nacton CEVC Primary School, Ipswich, Suffolk
Nightingale First School, Norwich
Singlegate Primary School, Colliers Wood, London
St Edwards C of E Primary School, Romford, Essex
St Peters CE Middle School, Old Windsor, Berkshire
Thurston Community College, Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk
Turner said: "These schools have proved that they are trailblazers for healthy food and practical food education in their regions. Children involved with the Food for Life Partnership are cooking, growing organic fruit and veg, visiting farms, sitting together to eat a good, wholesome meal, and they're taking these skills back to their families and the local community.
"What better way to tackle obesity and other health issues as well as social cohesion? Food for Life Partnership schools are paving the way for a positive future for these children."
Jeanette Orrey, school meals policy advisor for the Food for Life Partnership, emphasises how much has happened in the school food arena since she co-founded the original school food campaign with the Soil Association back in 2003.
She said: "When we started campaigning for better school dinners we had no idea that more than 4,200 schools would have joined the campaign, and not only improve their school dinners, but also to embrace food education. We must make sure that all this good work carries on and that the Coalition Government makes a good, healthy and sustainable food culture in schools and their communities a priority."
The initiative is funded by the Big Lottery Fund and led by the Soil Association.