Moe, Jo

Paisley, Claire

Roberts, Joan

English

Digital Education Resource Archive

Fruit tuck shopsin primary schoolsA practical guide to planning andrunning a school fruit tuck shopPHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES Introduction 2-4Planning 5-8Questions answered 9-10Quotes from schools 11-12Summary 13Contents1Produced by Jo Moe, Joan Roberts and Claire Paisley. Our thanks go to Laurence Moore, Anne Dennehy,Sue Bowker and Jenny Woolfe for their comments and to the Graphics team at Health Promotion Division,National Assembly for Wales.First produced 2000. Reprinted 2003PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES IntroductionThis booklet is intended to help schools learn more aboutsetting up and running a fruit tuck shop. It describes thehealth benefits of eating more fruit and underlines theadditional benefits to be gained for schools and their pupils.It suggests several alternative models for sucessfullyplanning and running a fruit tuck shop.PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES It is a shop set up by members of the school community (pupils, parents orstaff) to sell any combination of fresh fruit, dried fruit and fruit juice topupils during the school day. Fruit can be supplied via a wholesaler,retailer, supermarket or co-operative, and is delivered to school or collectedon a regular basis. The shop may be organised by adults or almost entirelyrun by children. It can operate before school or at any time during theschool day. All these options are discussed further within this booklet.Fruit and vegetables form part of a healthy, balanced diet. It is recommendedthat children eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. However,most children currently eat less than this. The daily intake of fruit and vegetables can reduce the chance ofdeveloping coronary heart disease and a number of cancers, particularly bowel cancer. A balanced diet including fruit and vegetables can help preventoverweight and obesity in children. Fruits are a very nutritious snack providing vitamins, minerals and fibre. Eating fruit in moderation as a snack instead of sugary foods is the healthier choice for teeth. In addition eating fruit in childhood can help develop good eatingpatterns to be carried through into adult life.What is a fruit tuck shop?Why eat more fruit?3Why set up a fruit tuck shop?What are the wider benefits?Studies have shown that most children like fruit but that they may needencouragement and increased opportunities to purchase and eat fruit more regularly.A fruit tuck shop provides: Opportunities for children and adults to eat more fruit.  A positive role model to young people of school age. Children’s food intake seems to be greatly influenced both by what their peers eat and by the choice of food available in schools.A fruit tuck shop initiative can be tailored to meet individual schools’requirements and priorities. Some schools will wish to organise a fruit tuck shop asan independent, low-maintenance project which does not intrude into teaching time.For others, the project can be a source of wider benefits. A fruit tuck shop projectcan be used as: A practical initiative to support work in the curriculum on nutrition and to further the idea of a ‘health-promoting school’. A ‘real-life’ source of data to supplement the maths and IT curriculum. A business enterprise scheme involving the local community.See pages 11 and 12 for comments from schools who are running fruit tuck shopsabout these and other benefits. 4Planning background considerationsBelow are some of the issues you may need to consider before embarking on aschool fruit tuck shop.The level of demand for a fruit tuck shopHow much initial enthusiasm is there among staff, governors, parents andchildren? You need to establish whether a fruit tuck shop would be welcomedby members of the school community, and how much practical support theywould be willing to give. You also need to ascertain the number of potentialcustomers to the fruit tuck shop.Adult involvementIs there a member of staff, governor or parent willing to take responsibility forthe initial planning? It will be necessary for at least one key adult to takeoverall charge in the initial stages. However, once the system is established,adult involvement can be minimal. Many successful fruit tuck shops currentlyoperating in primary schools are run almost entirely by the pupils. Review of school policy on snack foodsWhat do children currently eat at break times? Is any food currently sold atschool other than for school lunches? There are many potential barriers to theuptake of fruit for example, the sale of chocolate and crisps at break time andchildren bringing chocolate and crisps to school. You may need to review yourpolicy if a fruit tuck shop is to operate to maximum effect.The current school policy on money brought into schoolWould it be acceptable to staff and parents for children to bring in money tospend at a daily fruit tuck shop? If this is likely to be a problem you couldconsider running the fruit tuck shop before school, or for example collectingmoney weekly or half-termly.5Here are the main issues to address, with suggested optionsto suit your school.Who? Sells the fruit: children, staff, parentsBuys the fruit: children (all/selected classes), staffOrders the fruit: children, staff, parentsRecords the sales: children, staff, parentsBanks the money: teachers, office staff, parentsPays the bills: teachers, office staff, parentsSupplies the fruit: wholesaler, retailer, supermarketWhat? Fruit to sell: limited/wide choice, seasonal varietyPrice: fixed/variable: 10p-20p rangeQuantity: (see page 9)Equipment: table, trolley, money tin, knifeWhere? Site of shop: hall, class, kitchen, playgroundStorage of fruit: cupboard, kitchen, trolleyWhen? Time of shop: before school, playtime, in classDelivery: weekly, early morning or variableHow? Promotion: newsletter, posters, assembliescustomers6Planning: getting goingSome successful examples of school fruit tuck shopsWho?SellsBuysOrdersRecords salesBanks moneyPays billsSuppliesWhat?FruitsPriceA rota of Y6 children (with 1overall ‘manager’)Children/staffY6 childrenY6 childrenOffice staffOffice staffFruit wholesalerApples, bananas, oranges,plums, pears, kiwi fruits, lychees15p*School A (Primary, n.o.r. 238; small town location)QuestionY6 sell to Juniors; Infant stafftake fruit direct to classChildrenClassroom assistantClassroom assistantOffice staffOffice staffLocal ‘man with a van’Apples, oranges, bananas, pears(seasonally varied)15p*School B (Primary, n.o.r.475; inner city location)Rota of Y5/6 children Children/staffHeadY6 childrenOffice staffOffice staffFruit shop in nearby townApples, bananas, oranges, kiwifruits; Fruit juices15p*School C (Primary, n.o.r. 92;rural location)7QuantitysoldEquipmentWhere?SoldStored  When?SoldDeliveredHow?Promoted350-400 pieces per week 2 trestle tables, money tin,tallysheetsSchool hallCupboardMorning breakWeekly, before 10amNewsletter, children’s posters,questionnaire100-200 pieces a weekTable, money tin, baskets forInfants’ fruit Doorway into playground(Juniors); in class (Infants) CupboardMorning break (to Juniors);9am (to Infants)Twice weekly, before 9amNewsletters, posters80-140 pieces per weekTable, knife, kiwi spoons, cups,list of daily ordersThrough kitchen hatch intoplaygroundKitchenOrders/money taken atregistration; dispensed at breakWeekly, variable timesLetters, assemblies, posters8* Price fixed at 15p per piece of fruit for purposes of research studyQ: Can we make a profit?A: A good relationship with your fruit supplier should result in you being offered the ‘best buys’ of the season, at an agreed price which will allow fora reasonable profit margin. Ensuring that you match supply and demand for your school, and maintain interest in the shop, should guarantee aprofit.Questions answeredQ: How much fruit should we order in the first week?A: Factors such as the size of your school and the number of potentialcustomers make this a highly individual question. If the fruit tuck shop has been well promoted and interest is high, you can expect healthy sales in thefirst few weeks. It is better to under-order at first, but to have anarrangement with your fruit supplier for extra deliveries in the initial stages,if needed. ‘Hardy’ fruits such as apples or pears can be ordered in greater numbers than more perishable ones such as bananas, as they can be stored for more than a week. A useful ‘rule-of-thumb’ may be to order at the beginning of the first week a number of pieces of fruit equal to the number of children in your school.Q: Will there be a problem with children bringing money into school?A: In practice, this has not been a significant problem in schools with fruit tuck shops, especially if children are encouraged to bring in the correct amount of money each day. For younger children, money could be collected weekly or even half-termly, by the class teacher, the office staff or a parent.Alternatively, the shop could run before school, so that there is no need for children to be carrying money in school.Q: What can we do with perishable fruit that is unsold on Fridays?A: With thoughtful ordering of perishable fruit this need not be a problem. However, end-of-week sales of fruit at knock-down prices can be verypopular, with children, staff and parents (perhaps open up an after-school stall in the playground). Alternatively, use surplus fruit as end-of week prizes in class or assembly.9Questions answeredQ: Will this add to the workload of the school staff?A: As long as at least one adult within the school community is willing to takeinitial responsibility for the planning and launch of the fruit tuck shop, adult involvement can be minimal. In the initial stages adult involvement will be of greater importance, but once the system is established and the children are used to it responsibility can be delegated almost entirely to them. Dealing with payments to the suppliers and banking the profits are the only areas in which adult involvement is necessary. Alternatively, it is quite possible that, within the school community, there will be a willing parent or member of the support or catering staff who is keen to take on the project.Q: What about food hygiene?A: It is very important that everyone washes their hands before handling the fruit. This includes those pupils involved in selling the fruit and thosebuying. It is worth reminding pupils that they should wash their hands before eating the fruit. Further, fruit should be washed before it is eaten. It is also important that worktops and utensils used in preparation of the food are kept clean. Further advice on food hygiene can be obtained from the Food Standards Agency in Wales (tel: 029 2067 8999).Q: What happens if there is a mid-term sales dip?A: Initial interest in the fruit tuck shop may well drop after the first few weeks. Other factors such as colder weather, or a particularly busy time at school may also cause sales to fluctuate. The key to long-term success seems to be flexibility: being prepared to add to, or vary the selection of fruit on sale, or introducing ‘special offers’. Above all, the profile of the fruit tuck shop needs to be high, with frequent reminders to children andparents, and careful consideration of the time and place in which the fruit tuck shop operates. Check whether there are other claims on the children’s time such as playing football at break time and ensure that the fruit tuck shop is sited in an area which is easily accessible to all potential customers.10Health promotion‘Parents see this as a really positive move.’ Year 6 Teacher‘More children are eating fruit in the playground.’ Classroom Assistant ‘The teachers buy lots of fruit too.’ Pupil aged 10Enjoyment‘Running the school fruit tuck shop was fun, I’d love to do it again.’ Pupil aged 11‘I like spending my money.’ Pupil aged 9Opportunities to support the curriculum‘Our rising fives can now subtract 15p from 20p.’ Headteacher‘An excellent use of real life data for IT work.’ IT Advisor‘One of the best school projects we have seen.’ Ofsted InspectorsMinimum adult involvement‘The system is slick, it doesn’t interfere with curriculum time at all.’ Headteacher‘Having a reliable pupil to take charge takes the pressure off me.’ HeadteacherSocial benefits‘Having responsibility for the shop helps the quieter, less confident children.’ PSHETeacher‘We help the little ones to sort their money.’ Pupil aged 10‘I buy fruit for my friends.’ Pupil aged 11Some quotes from schools who are runningsuccessful fruit tuck shops11Profit‘We bought the school’s Christmas tree with the profits.’ School SecretaryCommunity links‘The children met the bank manager.’ Year 6 Teacher‘We were very impressed with the children.’ FruitererLitter reduction‘I also feel that it supports the school stance on environmental issues.’HeadteacherFruit as prizes‘Children can choose a piece of fruit from the shop as a reward for good work orbehaviour.’ PSHE Teacher12PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES In summary13This booklet has described how to set up and run a school fruit tuck shop. Ithighlights the fact that there are several different ways to run a successful shop,and that these can be tailored to suit your school’s individual requirements.The key issues upon which success is dependent are the following: The commitment of one key adult Enthusiasm for the project from the school community A flexible approach Maintaining a high profile for the fruit tuck shopThere are now many successful fruit tuck shops operating in primary schools inEngland and Wales. We hope that the information contained in this booklet willhelp your school fruit tuck shop to be a success too.The information in this booklet is based on theexperiences of primary schools in England and Wales whotook part in a year-long trial of fruit tuck shops. Theresearch project was carried out by the University ofBristol, Department of Social Medicine, and the HealthPromotion Division of the National Assembly for Wales.The project was funded by the Ministry of Agriculture,Fisheries and Food, the Food Standards Agency and theNational Assembly for Wales.PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES PHOTO REDACTED DUE TO THIRD PARTY RIGHTS OR OTHER LEGAL ISSUES 

Fruit tuck shops in primary schools : a practical guide to planning and running a school fruit tuck shop

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