Principles for a partnership approach for the food and drink industry and other related organisations working with schools

Principles for a partnership approach for the food and drink industry and other related organisations working with schools.


CONTEXT

This document sets out key principles to help support the development of meaningful and sustainable partnership working between schools, the food and drink industry and other related organisations.

Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence states 'Creating strong partnerships with a range of organisations helps to deliver a more personalised learning experience for every child and young person'.

By using food in its widest context (social, health, environmental and economic) as a vehicle for learning, the food and drink industry and other related organisations can support schools to encourage pupil engagement and learning.

Key Principles

BASIS OF RELATIONSHIP:

  • A successful relationship will be based on mutually beneficial partnerships with open, effective communication and agreed mutual aims and objectives.
  • It is important to maintain a clear understanding of roles, responsibility and contributions from each party at the planning stage.
  • All partners will be expected to develop and share resources to support delivery.

"Schools and industry working together with the same end in mind can only be beneficial to learning. Partnership working is critical to the success of Curriculum for Excellence - the more teachers work with colleagues from industry, the better the experience for the young person. Partnership working brings an added dimension to learning and helps equip our young people with the skills for learning, life and work."

Anne Jardine, Learning and Teaching Scotland

BENEFITS TO TEACHERS AND PUPILS

  • Pupils will learn through real, relevant experiences enabling them to develop skills for learning, life and work.
  • Active engagement through these experiences, particularly through interdisciplinary opportunities, will add breadth and depth to young peoples' learning.
  • School staff will be provided with professional development opportunities through engagement with external partners.

"The children thoroughly enjoyed organising the school farmers' market from contacting producers to setting up on the day. It was an extremely valuable experience for them to learn the process of food production from rearing animals on a farm to making a profit at the market."

Tracy Connelly, Teacher at Kirkbean Primary School

"Getting involved with a food project makes you think differently when you are in the supermarket as you think about where the product comes from."

S5/6 Pupil Coatbridge High School

"It was a great opportunity to learn new things about the "Business World". I really enjoyed the "Food Lab" - the overall task has been absolutely amazing."

P4/5 pupil Auchenblae Primary School

BENEFITS FOR EXTERNAL PARTNERS

  • Partnerships will support corporate responsibility, values and principles.
  • Partnerships will provide staff development opportunities through engagement with schools.
  • Industry will benefit from an informed, skilled workforce and make connections with their local community.

"We were very keen to support the schools programme again...it helps us get more involved in the local community, and can also bring fresh ideas for new products. On a lighter note it gives the whole team a chance to do something away from the day job and the enthusiasm of the pupils remind us why we got into the food industry in the first place!"

Natural Fruit and Beverage Company

EXPECTED OUTCOMES

  • Increased knowledge and understanding of where food comes from which ultimately will support informed lifestyle choices.
  • Enhanced understanding of the career opportunities available to young people and development of the relevant skills required for work.
  • Raised career aspirations of Scotland's children and young people.
  • Enriched delivery of Curriculum for Excellence through joint planning, development and delivery and evaluation.

"I didn't realise there were so many jobs in the food industry - I had only thought you could be a chef before we started the project."

S5/6 Pupil Coatbridge High School

These principles have been developed by a Food and Drink Education working group supported by the Scottish Government.

Useful Links

Scottish Government Food www.scotland.gov.uk/food

Scottish Government Education www.scotland.gov.uk/education

Learning and Teaching Scotland www.ltscotland.org.uk

The Schools (Health Promotion and Nutrition) (Scotland) Act 2007
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/HLivi/foodnutrition

Curriculum for Excellence www.curriculumforexcellence.org.uk

Contact

Email: goodfoodnation@gov.scot

Telephone: 0300 244 9802

Post:
Scottish Government
Food, Drink and Rural Communities
B1 Spur
Saughton House
Broomhouse Drive
Edinburgh
EH11 3XD

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