Fruit in Schools

Frequently asked questions

What is Fruit In Schools?

Fruit in Schools (FIS) is a new joint initiative funded by the Ministry of Health. The aim is to promote health and well being in primary school communities. Primary schools that will be part of a school cluster in high need areas will be approached.

There are two components:

• a Health Promoting Schools/whole school community approach to promoting healthy eating, physical activity, sun protection and Smokefree
• fresh fruit provided for students in eligible primary schools in high need areas.

Why do we need Fruit in Schools?

The 2002 Child Nutrition Survey showed only about two out of five children met the recommended number of serves of fruit (at least two per day) while around three out of five children met the recommended number of serves of vegetables (three or more per day).

Why are schools funded for up to three years?

School clusters taking part in the programme will be funded to receive free fruit for up to three years and will work together to source and distribute the fruit after the first year. This gives schools time to adopt a whole school approach, prioritising nutrition, activity, sun protection and smokefree.

It also gives school communities time to set up systems to carry on with the FIS programme independently. Working towards sustainability within the three years means we can move the funding and implement FIS in new schools. FIS encourages the engagement and support of the school communities in the cluster.

How does the fruit get to the schools?

A national supplier will source and distribute export quality fruit to lead schools in the school clusters for the first year of the programme. The programme is designed to allow schools to source their fruit locally after this initial bedding in period.

How have the FIS regions been chosen?

Regions have been chosen because they contain areas of high health need as defined by the New Zealand deprivation index. This index is based on criteria such as access to health and social services, transport and communications, household income, employment, education, home ownership and living space.  High need school clusters are selected within these regions.

Why is the project run through school clusters?

Research supports the use of clusters because they encourage learning through effective sharing and use of resources, professional development, sharing of ideas and improved implementation and planning of programmes.

A lead school will take responsibility for interacting with the supplier and purchasing fruit. Local Health Promoting Schools (HPS) coordinators and regional coordinators will provide training for school clusters in implementation of the programme and ongoing primary prevention strategies for cancer. This will be in collaboration with organisations such as the Heart Foundation and Cancer Society as well as Sports Trusts.

What are Health Promoting Schools?

Health Promoting Schools (HPS) emphasise the role school communities play in promoting and supporting good physical, emotional and social wellbeing.

HPS can initiate a range of policies and activities such as improving school lunches, parenting skills classes, safe school policies, after school care programmes, mental health programmes and a range of other activities in partnership with the community. 

Health Promoting Schools Advisors based at District Health Boards provide advice and support to school clusters that want to implement FIS/HPS.

More infomation about Health Promoting Schools and how to become a Health Promoting School is available at www.hps.org.nz.

How is the programme being monitored?

There will be a three-year evaluation of the FIS programme. This will include fruit consumption, fruit quality, delivery, and how a school implements a HPS/whole school approach focusing on the four well-being priority areas – nutrition, physical activity, sun protection and smokefree.
 
Formative evaluation will focus on support for clusters to maximise effective implementation. Process evaluation will capture how FIS is being implemented and impact evaluation will measure how well the programme is meeting its objectives.

Who was involved in developing the programme?

Fruit in Schools is funded by the Ministry of Health and has been developed by a group with representatives from Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Sport and Recreation NZ (SPARC) the Principal’s Federation, NZ School Trustees Association (NZSTA), Health Promoting Schools, School Support Services, National Heart Foundation, the Cancer Society and a District Health Board.

What resources will schools receive?

All eligible primary schools in the FIS clusters will receive enough fruit for their students (1 piece per child per day). Schools in the cluster will also receive four funded teacher release days per year per school to undertake planning, professional development and networking.

Support and advice for implementing a Health Promoting Schools/whole school approach will be available from the Health Promoting Schools staff in your local District Health Board or Public Health Unit.  Staff from Cancer Society, Heart Foundation, School Support Services and Regional Sports Trusts have been involved in planning FIS and will also be a resource for the FIS clusters.

What is a whole school approach?

School communities will be expected and supported to involve management, staff, Board of Trustees, parents and students in making changes in the school environment that will support improved quality of learning and school community well being in the four priority areas identified above, and others as appropriate to each school community.

How was the initiative developed?

Fruit in Schools is based on a similar programme in the United Kingdom, where children’s vegetable and fruit consumption is low. A national free fruit in schools programme for four to six year olds was implemented to improve children’s daily consumption of fruit.

We ran a pilot free fruit in schools programme in New Zealand, which was modelled on the UK programme, but for all children in years 1 – 6 in term one 2004, in a sample of schools in high social and health needs areas in Auckland and Northland.

An evaluation of the pilot showed there was a need to improve the fruit intake of the children in these schools.

Over 40 per cent of children reported consuming no fruit at the beginning of the study. The provision of free fruit to these schools was associated with significant increases in fruit consumption and reduction in high-energy snacks such as pies. Although fruit consumption was increased in the short term, there was a rapid decline in fruit intake once the free fruit provision stopped.

The process evaluation demonstrated the programme was feasible and was well accepted by participating schools. This is why the Ministry has combined the FIS concept with the Health Promoting Schools framework so schools will be supported to develop sustainable changes over time.