Agenda and minutes

In the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair, nominations were sought for the appointment of a Chair Pro Tem of the Children and Young People's Learning Scrutiny Panel.

Councillor C Hobson was nominated and seconded and, following a vote, appointed as Chair Pro Tem of the Children and Young People's Learning Scrutiny Panel.

AGREED that Councillor C Hobson be appointed as Chair Pro Tem of the Children and Young People's Learning Scrutiny Panel for the duration of the meeting.

There were no declarations of interest received at this point in the meeting.

The minutes of the meeting of the Children and Young People’s Learning Scrutiny Panel held on 20 June 2022 were submitted and approved as a correct record.

Council officers will be in attendance to provide the scrutiny panel with:

·         an overview of school meals and healthy eating standards in schools;

·         information on free school meals and Middlesbrough’s headline facts and figures; and

·         information on the physical education curriculum and details of school-based activities.

The Principal of Unity City Academy will also be in attendance to provide the scrutiny panel with information on the academy’s PE curriculum.

The Advanced Public Health Practitioner was in attendance to present:

·        an overview of school meals and healthy eating standards in schools;

·        information on free school meals and Middlesbrough’s headline facts and figures; and

·        information on the physical education curriculum and details of school-based activities.

The Advanced Public Health Practitioner advised that the content of the submitted report had been prepared by Public Health, in collaboration with Environment Services (Catering Services) and Children’s Services.

Members heard that by the time they started primary school (aged 4/5 years), around one in ten children in Middlesbrough were living with obesity and that figure increased to one in five by the time that they were in Year 6 (10/11 year olds).

It was highlighted that children living in low income families had poorer diets. In Middlesbrough 32.7% of children were living in income deprived families, in comparison with the England average of 17.1%.

The scrutiny panel was advised that those living with obesity suffered from worse physical and mental health outcomes, and they achieved poorer educational results than their normal weight peers. It was heard that, in experiments with primary school pupils, investigators had found that the children voiced negative views about a fictional book character called 'fat Alfie' - they were less likely to invite him to parties or less likely to want to be his friend.

When determining the reasons for obesity, it was advised that a simple energy in and energy out equation was usually referred to. Members were shown an Obesity Foresight Map, which demonstrated a complex web of intertwined factors that influenced a person’s energy balance. Those factors included biology, individual psychology, food production, food consumption, societal influences, individual activity and activity environment.

Members heard that the School Food Standards were designed to ensure that all children received the energy and nutrients they needed to get the most from their school day, whilst developing healthy habits in relation to food. The standards were compulsory for all maintained schools, including academies and free schools.

Work was being undertaken to develop an Eat Well Schools Award, which would support schools to adopt a whole setting approach to food and nutrition. The award was due to be launched in September 2022. The programme planned to include training and resources for catering staff to ensure they developed nutritionally balanced menus, which not only met 100% of the School Food Standards but went above and beyond to provide healthy nutritious school meals. The programme also planned to provide all staff with information on the importance of eating well, how to create a positive food environment and how to educate children about food and wellbeing. The aim of the programme was to support schools to create a health promoting culture, throughout the whole setting.

Members heard that Middlesbrough Council Catering Services catered for 30 schools in the borough and in 2021/22, the service had served a total of 1,498,807 meals within those schools. The service was currently working to rebrand and revitalise school meals to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22/12

The Executive Director of Children’s Services will provide a verbal update.

The Executive Director of Children’s Services explained that, although there were rising rates of Covid-19, those rates were not impacting on the day-to-day functioning of schools. All schools were now undertaking ‘business as usual’ activities.

NOTED

The Chair will present a verbal update on the matters that were considered at the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Board held on 22 June 2022.

In the absence of the Chair, the item was deferred.