Water is vital to maintaining normal bodily functions, health and wellbeing. The medical profession has commented that children do not drink enough fluid during school hours resulting in dehydration and contributing to both short- and long-term problems that affect children's health and learning.
Ensuring free access to water and promoting a regular water intake is vital and helps to promote good health in an all-round healthier learning environment.
The catering service ensures clean, fresh water is available at all service times and has commissioned the production of child-friendly, good quality water.
Benefits
- Providing good quality, fresh, clean water free of charge throughout the lunchtime, breakfast and tuck service periods for all students, in clean jugs and colourful tumblers
- Encouraging schools to give access to water throughout the day, water bottles are a visual reminder to drink and can be carried by students throughout the day
- Staff have access to purchase bottled water at service times
- Clearly labelled 'drinking water' signs on taps
- Posters promoting drinking sufficient water (1.5 – 2.0 litres daily) to keep children healthy
- Staff nutritional training includes the importance of water consumption
- It has been recognized that, in addition to good healthy food, water is essential