Food in Schools across Scotland

Following analysis and discussion of your evidence you should now know what you are doing well and what needs to be improved. This will help prioritise your next steps.   A simple action plan such as the one below can help you keep track of progress.   Add  additional columns as you require eg goals, responsibilities, timescales and measures of success. Alternatively, you may already have action planning approaches in place that work well for you. Regularly review your action plan and share updates of progress with partners.   Remember to include success toward achieving your goals and any difficulties encountered. Goals change, whether achieved or altered, and the cyclical process of evaluation will identify other areas for improvement or a change of direction/approach. Some may be resolved instantly while others may take years depending on the complexity of the improvement required.

The following questions may help you with your action plan:

• • What outcomes do you want to achieve and what will success look like?
  • How clear are the associations between approaches and actions?
  • What examples can you give regarding consideration of potential barriers and necessary support to overcome these?
  • Who will be responsible for delivering specific actions?
  • How will you plan the timeframe in which actions will be undertaken to be achievable?
  • How do you plan to monitor progress?
  • Is your agreed review date realistic?
  • What does evidence gathered along the way tell you?
  • What aspect(s) does the evidence highlight for further improvement?

Illustration of Practice

For each Quality Indicator there is an illustration of what an evaluation of very good practice might look like. These are broad and generic.  They provide a benchmark or expectation in relation to a national standard.  The illustration and the six-point scale are intended to support discussion and reflection as part of self-evaluation. Very good equates to level 5 on a six-point scale. Further information is available in the Tools and Resources section.

Illustration of very good Ethos and Culture – level 5

• • Our vision for food in school is in line with local and national priorities and is ambitious, challenging, inclusive and supports the wellbeing of all. We revisit this frequently to meet changing and emerging needs.
  • Our high expectations of food in school are clearly understood by children, young people, staff, parents and partners.
  • Strong leadership at all levels builds staff capacity to sustain effective delivery of our vision for food in school.
  • Our culture supports ownership and participation. Staff, children, young people, parents and partners actively engage with and contribute to promoting and implementing our vision for food throughout our learning community.
  • Our focus on wellbeing and relationships ensures everyone involved with food in school feels respected, engaged, motivated and committed to improving outcomes as valued members of the school community.
  • Children and young people are confident their views on food in school are valued. They are knowledgeable about what has improved as a result of their opinions and that their contributions make a positive difference for themselves and for others.
  • Staff at all levels undertake their roles and responsibilities with regard to wellbeing, rights based education, equality, inclusion and fairness.
  • Staff are well-informed and a highly positive influence on of children and young people through food as a context for learning, and the provision of well-managed and inclusive dining experiences, serving appealing, well-presented food in a sociable and welcoming atmosphere.