School inspections
'Hungry for Success: A Whole School Approach to School Meals in Scotland' (Scottish Executive, 2002) outlined four levels of monitoring to evaluate the progress of implementation and impact of its recommendations.
Level one
Councils have to report annually on:
- the number and percentage of schools with health promoting status
- the percentage of pupils who are entitled to free school meals and the percentage of those who take them.
Councils are also required to report on how they have reduced the stigma surrounding free school meals and improved uptake of school meals.
Level two
Level two monitoring involves HM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) working with specialist Nutrition Associate Assessors (NAAs) to carry out detailed evaluation of the implementation of the recommendations. HMIE is doing this in a sample of school inspections from its normal inspection programme.
Hungry for Success inspections in primary and special schools started in September 2004 and it is expected that these inspections in secondary schools will commence in early 2006.
The links below provide details of what happens during a primary school inspection where the implementation of Hungry for Success is being evaluated. They also have details of the information requested from the school, prior to inspection.
Word file: HMIE Briefing Note for Staff for Hungry for Success primary and special school inspections- Word file: HMIE School Profile for primary and special schools
Level three
The Scottish Executive is commissioning HMIE to work with specialist Associate Assessors to undertake a more detailed evaluation of the provision of school meals and produce a report.
Level four
Independent research will be commissioned by the Scottish Executive in 2007 to assess the implementation and impact of the Hungry for Success recommendations.
Report on progress
HMIE published their first progress report 'Monitoring the Implementation of Hungry for Success: A Whole School Approach to School Meals in Scotland' in October 2005.
It revealed that Hungry for Success is providing primary pupils with healthier choices than ever and having a positive impact on school meals.
The report describes progress up to June 2005 in implementing the key recommendations. A sample of 33 primary schools and six special schools in 27 different local authority areas had been inspected.
Twelve of the schools were inspected before the December 2004 target date for implementation of Hungry for Success recommendations in primary and special schools. The target date for implementation in secondary schools is December 2006.
As well as collecting evidence from school inspections, the NAAs have also met with representatives of most local councils. A further report on progress will be produced in 2007, which will include progress with implementation in secondary schools.
