Since adopting an internal model of Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches programme in 2023, Portland School – Te Kura o Tikorangi in Te Tai Tokerau Northland is seeing happier, healthier and more engaged ākonga.

Every lunchtime at Portland School – Te Kura o Tikorangi in Te Tai Tokerau Northland, tamariki and staff join in a karakia mō te kai (a blessing of food) before sharing a nutritious meal together.

After eating, they wash their dishes in the purpose-built washing station. Then, before heading back into the classroom, they brush their teeth to a song related to what they’re currently learning.

Year 5 and 6 students Eli, Hurae and Jimmy say eating a healthy and fresh lunch gives them energy and makes them feel good.

“Healthy food helps your brain function well,” says Eli. His favourite school lunch is butter chicken. For Hurae, it’s shepherd’s pie. For Jimmy, spaghetti bolognese.

Prioritising healthy habits

Portland School tumuaki Rachel Bycroft says since prioritising healthy habits and encouraging staff to model these behaviours, the school has seen a positive impact on student engagement, and most importantly on hauora (wellbeing).

“We’ve noticed a real shift in the classroom. Ākonga are more settled, more focused, and better prepared to take on the learning of the day,” she says.

The school has also shifted its eating times to the end of lunch break. Research supports this decision, showing that when children play first, they tend to eat and drink more, and return to the classroom better prepared to learn.

“We also know that regular physical activity is essential for our learning. You can’t get to the reading, writing, and maths until you’ve got some movement and some food,” explains Rachel.

“When ākonga stay active, their minds are more focused, energised, and ready to absorb new knowledge.”

The school has been supported by the Healthy Active Learning team from Sport Northland to make the change. Healthy Active Learning, a national initiative, supports schools and kura across the motu to improve the wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi through healthy eating and drinking, and quality physical activity.

Healthy Active Learning lead Jen Fielden says she celebrates the willingness of the school’s board and senior leadership to better align Ka Ora, Ka Ako with its goal of environmental sustainability.

Sustainability and inquiry learning

Portland School’s sustainability initiatives have included upgrading the school’s kitchen and hiring an in-school kaitunu (cook), Ngahuia, who tailors recipes to reflect seasonal ingredients, ākonga feedback, and the nutritional requirements of the programme.

Rachel says employing a cook as a member of staff has been important to the programme’s success. Ngahuia, a community member, parent, and aunty, prepares meals based on the school’s daily attendance. Any leftovers from lunch are eaten at afternoon tea along with fruit and milk.

“Food wastage is minimal,” says Rachel. “Any food scraps are used in our compost heap for our garden and for another community member to feed their pigs.”

The kitchen has become a central hub at the school and Rachel says the delicious smells coming from the kitchen often spark conversations in class around eating for hauora.

This term includes a whole-school inquiry into ‘where does kai come from’. Ākonga have been learning about how farms work, taste-testing unusual food, and learning about the technology used in food production. They have also been cooking themselves to bring their learning to life. Last Friday, they made haloumi cheese; this week, they’re making jam.

Looking ahead, Rachel says the school is excited to develop a stronger garden-to-table programme, with plans to engage more with whānau and the wider community to be part of the kaupapa and connection to the school’s environment.

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This article was originally shared in the Education Gazette, October 11, 2024