A good healthy breakfast helps us to learn - it's a no-brainer

Mar 13 2007 By Joanna Desira, The Journal

Children are learning that a healthy breakfast can help improve their performance in school. A primary care trust team is visiting schools to introduce children to different ways to start the day. Joanna Desira found out more.

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Children in one of the most deprived parts of the North-East are learning how to kick-start their day with a healthy brain-boosting breakfast. A team at Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust has launched the `Brainy Breakfast' scheme at primary schools in East Middlesbrough.

Charlie Illingworth, Alison Strangeways and Debbie Hilton, from the PCT, are visiting schools in the area to introduce youngsters to different types of healthy breakfasts.

Research published by the Centre for Food, Physical Activity and Obesity Research, at Teesside University, has found children who ate cereal for breakfast showed improvements in problem solving, memory, attention and behaviour.

The scheme was launched at Park End Primary School, where it proved successful, and is now moving to nearby St Pius School.

The team will also take it to other schools in East Middlesbrough. And there is a possibility the idea will be taken on in other parts of the town.

Charlie, community health development leader responsible for East Middlesbrough, said they visit the schools once a week for two weeks to give the breakfasts to pupils in Key Stage 1 one week and Key Stage 2 the next.

Among the breakfast treats the children are introduced to are porridge, Ready Brek, toast, and fruit.

Charlie said: "We'd done `try something new day' with five fruits and five vegetables and they would get a sticker for each one they tried, and we rolled that out but everybody was doing it so we wanted to think of something else.

"I'd read articles about eating a healthy breakfast and educational attainment and we thought that would be something different we thought we could roll it out and it wouldn't be just fruit and veg. We had raisins, toast, Ready Brek - quite a variety of things and it really worked well, some of the kids were quite surprised with the Ready Brek and porridge.

"When they walked in they looked at it and said, `We're not going to like it' but 99% liked it.

"We did Key Stage 1 one week and Key Stage 2 the following week on two separate days.

"As we did it on a one-off day we were not going to get results, but what we want is for the children to go home and tell their parents about it and then for the parents to make sure when their children go out to school they have had a healthy breakfast.

"Some of the children at Park End told us they hadn't had any breakfast. Really we want them to use pester power with their parents.

"Many of the children who had porridge did like it and they had never had it before."

Sue Gent, headteacher at Park End Primary School, said: "It went very well and the children were very enthusiastic and enjoyed it. They tried lots of things and made comments about what they liked and said they were going to have that for breakfast at home.

"It was all part of our healthy eating focus to promote healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle."

Among other healthy eating projects running at the school are breakfast clubs, a salad bar at lunchtime, children are also learning to grow their own vegetables.

"We are looking into getting an allotment plot and we also do taster sessions with families and we have a fruit tuck shop. I think it is working because children are making more healthy choices at lunch time and families are doing healthier lunch boxes. We have noticed a difference and we don't allow crisps and sweets, apart from as a treat at Christmas."

The team would be prepared to roll out the project to any other schools which were interested.