Thrilling filling food – all yours for FREE

Education Leeds launch a set of one-minute films developed by pupils for pupils


You might be interested in a set of one-minute films developed by year 10 students working towards:

education inclusion;
de-stigmatising poverty;
increasing free school meal uptake;
promoting healthy schools;
removing stigma associated with free school meals and
tackling child and food poverty.

The films further respond to 2 year action research that Education Leeds commissioned investigating why pupils fail to take their free school meal entitlement. The findings identified a range of barriers applicable to all children (paid and free), however, an important finding was that 17 per cent of pupils felt uncomfortable, and were worried about being teased; and 21 per cent of parents said they did not feel comfortable about claiming – often based on their own experience at school.

To remove this barrier and promote inclusion, we worked in partnership with The Life Channel and year 10 students to creatively develop four short films.

The films aim to generate subtle, positive attitudinal and cultural shift by normalising free school meals. This aspiration will hopefully be achieved by changing:

• Pupil’s attitude through PSHCE curriculum by exploring feelings, making healthy choices, and living in a diverse world and
• Parent’s attitude through showing viewing these films in over 5,000 UK GP surgeries via the national Life Channel network.

The outcome will help families during these economic times to ensure their child(ren) have access a healthier diet to improve their health and education outcomes - ‘making sure that no child is left behind’.

The four one-minute films are: (formatted to be played on your P.C.)

1. Twin students show how eating a healthy meal can improve concentration.

2. A lonely, weary guy discovers that eating a healthy school meal can increase his energy.

3. A fruit and vegetable animation discusses ‘why some kids feel weird about taking free school meals’.
4. An animation of identical people illustrates how everyone is the same, but it’s Ok to be different.

5. A fly-on-the-wall provides the policy context about why and how the films were made (this film will not to be shown on the LC network. However, the content will help provide background and context for PSHCE and inform discussions on this important / sensitive social phenomena )

The films also support the range of tools developed in free school meal toolkit (also informed by the unique research programme) and are available free on the Education Leeds web portal - Please utilise these films (and the FSM toolkit) in your areas of expertise e.g. training, discussion groups, PSHCE together with the Leeds free school meals toolkit (that was also informed by the same research). Please forward to colleagues that are address inclusion, health inequalities, food /child poverty etc..

http://www.educationleeds.co.uk/schoolmeals/infopage.aspx?pageno=639

Please do not hesitate to contact Rosemary Molinari, contact details below, should you require further information.

Here is what Chris Edwards and the national the child poverty action group had to say about the films
http://interesting-times-in-leeds.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-colleague-rosie-molinari-our-school.html

 A few DVD are still available – please let Rosemary know if you would like a copy sending to you. Otherwise the films and the PSHCE lesson plans are on the web.