The College has had the opportunity to take part in the Ka Ora, Ka Ako, healthy school lunches programme from the start of the 2021 school year.  The Board and management felt it was a great opportunity and agreed to participate, understanding the requirements to do so.

We have worked hard with our supplier to provide healthy lunches since that time and there were certainly ups and downs along the way.  We provide continual feedback, including surveying students and making changes.  We are pleased with where we currently sit with the programme and the lunches that are supplied to the school, we are in almost daily contact with our supplier, they listen to our needs and adapt their lunches as much as they can within the constraints of the programme.  Like all hospitality businesses, our supplier has experienced product supply issues.

The chef and the Chief Executive have visited the College numerous times to observe and to talk with our students with the aim of making the programme more successful.

By choice not every student participates in the programme every day, some students still bring their own food or purchase from the canteen.  Most importantly however, no student is going hungry at school and attendance rates and engagement has improved as a result of providing the lunches. 

Because there appears to be some confusion about the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme and the requirements around it, following is a list of the key points so those that are unsure can get the facts. 

1. The Ministry of Education has strict guidelines around the requirements for healthy lunches. Nutritional guidelines for the programme can be found using this link https://assets.education.govt.nz/public/Uploads/20210927-Nutrition-Guidance-Formatted-FINAL.pdf

2. Suppliers must tender to be part of the programme through the Government GETS platform. 
3. Central Hawke’s Bay College had three initial suppliers to choose from, two could supply lunches to the school, the other had to be made at the College. 
4. The College does NOT have facilities to make over 550 lunches a day.  The Hospitality rooms are used fully as classrooms for teaching and there are no other suitable areas or facilities at school to do so. 
5. Lunches are provided for everyone as we did not want any stigma attached for students who participate in the programme.  
6. Feedback on the lunches has been ongoing and inclusive of student surveys.  The school has worked alongside the supplier to reduce any waste and provide healthy food options that students will eat. 
7. Students with particular health or food requirements are catered for individually, we have over 30 students in this category at present. 
8. Lunches are provided at 11am to all students who want one.  This time was chosen as many of our bus students leave home before 7am and it provides food for students at an optimal learning time. 
9. Uneaten lunches are provided at interval for any student who wishes to enjoy more of what is being offered.  They are also heated or chilled and provided again at lunchtime for students.   
10. Leftover food is not wasted. If we have a large amount of uneaten lunches we pass these onto two of the local primary schools and potentially the local Food Basket.
11. Finding healthy food that every teenager likes each day is impossible and some students choose not to participate. 

Ngā manaakitanga

Article added: Monday 04 July 2022