At Norfolk Community Primary, we recognise the importance of keeping our bodies and minds healthy. We are committed to encouraging children and families to understand how to live a healthy lifestyle.

• Our school is an active place where children take part in physical activity every day. We provide the children with a range of equipment during break and lunch times to promote positive and active playtimes.

• We work closely with the Links School Sports Partnership to provide a variety of physical activities and sporting opportunities for our children. This is both during the school day and after school clubs. 

• Healthy Minds, we do lots of work to support pupils' mental health and emotional wellbeing. Social and emotional learning is a fundamental part of our curriculum and we place great importance on protecting and developing the mental wellbeing of every pupil in our school. 

• We work with SSELP schools in a poverty network group. The aim of this group is to support people in Sheffield living in deprivation. This helps to inform our strategy for supporting our Pupil Premium children and their families.

• Two of our staff are SHINE project ambassadors, who offer support and information for pupils and families about healthy eating. 

• Classroom breakfast bagel - The children can enjoy a bagel in the classroom with their friends every morning at the start of the school day. 

Making Healthy Choices

We know that an important part of being healthy is eating a balanced diet, full of natural goodness that gives us energy and helps us to grow. At Norfolk we are working hard to encourage our children and families to:

• Drink lots of water
• Get daily exercise
• Eat healthy snacks at playtime
• Have a healthy lunch
• Understand why sugar should be enjoyed in moderation

Water

All children are asked to bring a water bottle to school. We give children regular opportunities throughout the school day to hydrate, particularly after playtimes. Drinking water is also available in every classroom, so that children can refill their bottles during the day. 

Healthy Lunches

Our hot meals service offers healthy lunches to all children. Each day there are four options:

1. Hot main meal
2. Hot vegetarian main meal
3. A sandwich or wrap
4. Jacket potato with a choice of topping

These are provided free of charge to pupils in EYFS and KS1. They are also free to children eligible for Free School Meals.

Packed Lunch

Prefer a packed lunch instead? Here is some helpful guidance for families about what to include in your child's lunch box. 

^{Sleep - A General Guide}

A quality sleep is essential for children’s growth and development.
A decent night’s sleep will help them to do better at school, have a more developed memory, learn more effectively, plus it might make them less susceptible to colds and other minor ailments, less irritable and hopefully better behaved!
While there is no hard and fast rule, here is a general guide on the amount of sleep children and adults need.

Bedtime Routines- Some ideas that might be helpful

A bedtime routine is important in getting a good night’s sleep.

A routine helps to support children’s body clocks and help them to settle and relax.

Sticking to a routine is key, sometimes sleep patterns may get worse before they get better. It is not uncommon to think that a new routine isn’t working but it’s important to stick to it for at least two weeks in order to see results.

Here are some helpful tips to create a good routine:

Work out what time it will start and ideally this should be an hour before your child goes to sleep.

Display the new routine somewhere where everybody in the home can follow it eg. Stick it on the fridge or on a bedroom door.

Do the same thing at the same time each day, including having a set wake up time each morning.
We know this is difficult at the weekend, but it is important to have these set times to support your child’s body clock.

Here is a link to the sleep charity for more help and information.

https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/information-support/children/bedtime-routines/