Secondary School Age Young People
This section of the website aims to provide you with information relating to nutrition and physical activity in secondary school aged children.
From this section of the website you can access information relating to research and surveys, policy and strategy, campaigns, national initiatives, key resources and useful links.
Data, Research and Surveys
The Sodexho School Meals and Lifestyle Survey is a UK-wide survey published by Sodexho Limited. It aims to provide information on the eating habits and lifestyles of school children, including consumption of breakfast, amount of money parents give children to be spent in school, amount of money parents give children to be spent in school and perceptions of school food provision.
National Foundation for Educational Research (2007) Evaluation of food education provision in Wales was carried out on behalf of the Food Standards Agency. It was based on a questionnaire survey of a sample of schools together with in-depth interviews in primary and secondary schools. It considers how many pupils aged 5-16 are engaged in different types of food education across Wales, including an analysis of differences by age and gender. It found that the percentage of pupils accessing food education in secondary schools was lower in KS4 than in KS3 and was dependent on which subjects pupils were studying at GCSE. Food preparation/cooking was acknowledged as an important life skill which was likely to offer career opportunities.
University of Teeside (2006) A systematic review of the effect of nutrition, diet and dietary change on learning, education and performance of children of relevance to UK schools is a systematic in-depth review of the best evidence from controlled trials studies that have investigated the effects of nutrition, diet and dietary change on learning, education and performance in school aged children (4-18years) from the UK and other developed countries.
Active Healthy Kids Wales – Physical Activity Report Card – The 2014 Wales Report Card was produced by an expert group of academics and professionals including representatives from Swansea University, University of South Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University and Glyndwr University. Further information about the Report Card and how it can be used to make an assessment of the physical activity of children in Wales can be found at www.swansea.ac.uk/activehealthykidswales
School Sport Survey (2011) Building on twenty years of Sport Wales surveys on young people’s participation in sport, and school-based provision of sport, the data from this surveyenables the monitoring and tracking of trends in Physical Education (PE) and school sport, and provides a base from which to shape sports policy and practice.
Policy and Strategy
Welsh Assembly Government (2006) Food and Fitness – Promoting Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for Children and Young People in Wales 5 Year Implementation Plan provides a framework for integrating action on nutrition and physical activity for children and young people in Wales.
‘Appetite for Life’ sets out the strategic direction and actions required to improve the nutritional standards of food and drink served in schools across Wales.
OFCOM (2006) final statement on television advertising of food and drink products to children outlines a total ban, at all times and on all channels on the advertising of high fat sugar and salt products in or adjacent to programmes which have particular appeal to children under 16 years of age. In addition Ofcom proposes that additional restrictions should be imposed on advertisement content.
Campaigns
5 x 60 a Sport Wales campaign, aimed at helping reach the Welsh Assembly Government target of 90% secondary school age children achieving 60 minutes of exercise, 5 days per week. 5x 60 is aimed at secondary school aged children. The ethos of the 5X60 is that the main target is for pupils to have fun while taking part. If this happens and the pupils really enjoy the opportunities, then they are more likely to continue to participate in activity throughout their lives. A dedicated 5×60 websitehas been developed to explain more about the 5×60 scheme. There is also a Myspace page dedicated to 5×60.Ultimate Dodgeball and Jump Rope for Heart are fundraising programmes which encourages pupils to get active and have fun at the same time. Schools taking part in Ultimate Dodgeball or Jump Rope for Heart receive a free kit, an Organisers Guide, Teacher’s Manual, posters and sponsorship forms. These events are aimed at 7 -16 year olds.
National Initiatives
The Welsh Network of Healthy Schools Scheme actively promote and protect the physical, mental and social health and wellbeing of their community through policy, strategic planning and staff development in relation to the school curriculum, ethos, physical environment and community relations.
The Welsh Network of Healthy School Schemes (WNHSS) have produced a report ‘In Perspective’ which provides case studies of food and fitness actions in schools. It looks at actions on nutrition and physical activity undertaken by one school from each of the twenty two local Healthy School Schemes.
PE and School Sport (PESS) Initiative – aims to raise standards in physical education by making sure that all schools manage the subject effectively within the whole school curriculum.
The Welsh Government’s Free Swimming initiative entitles all children under 16 to free sessions at selected times at local leisure centre’s and at least one free structured activity session each week in the school holidays.
The Sport Wales’ goal is to get more people, more active, more often and is encouraging young people to take part in activities in their community.
Key Resources
Please find below a list of key resources relating to secondary school aged children. For more resources please visit the Nutrition Network for Wales Resources Database.
NICE Guidance: Promoting Physical Activity for Children and Young People (Please note this is for information only – NICE Public Health Guidance is not applicable in Wales)
Young and physically active: a blueprint for making physical activity appealing to youth – developed by the WHO Regional Office for Europe
The guide Developing a Whole School Food and Physical Activity Policy is to be used as schools consider food and fitness activities as part of the Welsh Network of Health Schools Schemes; their local Healthy School Scheme Co-ordinators will guide schools through this process.
The Welsh Government has produced guidelines for preparing healthier lunchboxes with some ideas for a week’s menu.
The Welsh Government has produced a document entitled, Think Water:Guidance on Water in Schools.
Sustainable Farming and the Environment Action Towards 2020
The Food Standards Agency Guide Healthy Nosh for Less Dosh is an 18 page billingual booklet aimed at giving young people both the insight and incentive to help them to choose, buy and cook healthy food cost effectively.