Clifton Primary schoolchildren catch healthy bus
Children at Clifton Primary School have pulled off a coup in attracting the ‘Cooking Bus’ in another of Warwickshire County Council’s extended services team’s initiatives.
The bus is provided by the Food for Life Partnership, a network of schools and communities across England committed to transforming food culture.
Throughout next week, lessons in preparing healthy food will be given to Clifton’s pupils from the bus in its first ever trip to Warwickshire.
It is part of a ‘Healthy Lifestyles Week’ to be held by the school in which a range of sports are also available to the children. Included on the agenda are aerobics, skipping and meditation. An expert is coming to the school to give fencing lessons and sailing will be available for children from years five and six at Draycote Water.
Non-sporting activities will include sessions with the school nurse, healthy lunch box sessions and a trip to Stratford to see King Lear.
The week is a community event in which parents are also invited to cooking classes on the bus during the evenings. Help has been recruited from Avon Valley School and local PCSO Harry Mossop is giving safety sessions.
Clifton Primary is a flagship school for the ‘Food for Life’ partnership. Although it has no fields, raised beds around the grounds are dedicated to each class. They are used for growing fruit and vegetables including radishes, strawberries, beans and potatoes which will form part of the menu in the week’s classes.
Cllr Heather Timms, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for Children, Young People and Families, said: “Creating a healthy lifestyle at an early age is essential to give children the information they need to make lifestyle choices that will encourage good health. These children are very fortunate to attend a school that encourages this.
“Extended Services has enabled the school to go beyond the curriculum and give children and their families tremendous opportunities."