The Caterlink Foundation has partnered with the School Food Plan to launch a new best practice online platform for primary and secondary schools.
What Works Well is an online hub dedicated to helping schools share ideas and practical tips on how to create an effective and inspirational food culture. With the support of The Caterlink Foundation – the charitable arm of state education catering specialist Caterlink – the website will officially go live this May.
The launch of What Works Well – which is part of the wider School Food Plan aiming to improve food in schools – will provide a vital resource for schools and caterers alike. Hosting case studies of successful school food projects, top tips and advice on how to make school food great, the website covers topics from recipes and sustainable sourcing to food education and provenance. Head teachers, governors, chefs and caterers will be able to share their success stories with each other, as well as receive practical and structural support for future projects.
Showcasing successful projects
Neil Fuller, Managing Director of Caterlink, said: “As a school caterer, we really understand and support the need for schools to work closely together to deliver the School Food Plan and help improve food education among children and young people. We’re really proud to be sponsoring the ‘What Works Well’ website and to be helping to showcase the fantastic meal programmes and initiatives which are already working well in our schools.
“Whether a school has set up a school kitchen garden or farm to educate children about the importance of nutrition, worked with local community groups or encouraged parents to get involved in food service, we’re encouraging them to tell us about their successful projects via the online platform to help others move forward and transform their approach to delivering school meals.”
The website will be updated regularly with new content and case studies as well as acting as providing useful links to support available from organisations such as the Children’s Food Trust, the Food for Life Partnership and the Lead Authority for Catering in Education. The Times Educational Supplement and the Guardian Teacher Network also support the ‘What Works Well’ initiative, allowing users to access their content and discussion forums.
Schools, caterers, parents and children can share their own ideas and success stories by emailing www@schoolfoodplan.com
About Caterlink
Caterlink is the state education sector catering specialist. The company is committed to using the freshest highest quality locally sourced produce and works closely with British agriculture to support farmers and growers and encourage sustainability. This approach ensures its chefs are able to deliver the most exciting seasonal menus to children, students and staff daily at schools, colleges and universities across the UK.
The Caterlink Foundation is a registered charity which supports charitable causes in local communities, from awarding hospitality scholarships to funding School Kitchen Garden projects to help young people understand where food comes from.
For more information about Caterlink click here
About the School Food Plan
This website is one action from the School Food Plan – find out more about the School Food Plan
For schools preparing for universal infant free school meals, further help is available through a dedicated implementation support service, run by the Children’s Food Trust. Call the free helpline at 0800 680 0080 or email info@childrensfoodtrust.org.uk . More information can be found at www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/schoolfoodplan