Case Studies
We receive a huge amount of very positive feedback from our early years settings, primary schools and local council partners. Below are a small number of recent case studies detailing how some schools and early years settings are implementing the PhunkyFoods Programme.
OUR LADY QUEEN OF HEAVEN CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL, CRAWLEY. JANUARY 2025
Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Primary School (OLQOH) has been actively engaged in the PhunkyFoods programme for several years, using the online resources and practical support from their local PhunkyFoods support worker. This includes regular workshops, food preparation sessions, and the PhunkyFoods Ambassador programme for Year 5 pupils.
During the Autumn Term of 2024/25, Caroline (PhunkyFoods Support Worker, Crawley) worked with several year groups delivering food preparation workshops and trained four PhunkyFoods Ambassadors to promote healthy lifestyles to their peers. The term also opened with Caroline carrying out a ‘Health Check’ with the school’s Head Teacher, Tobias Melia, as well as delivering a staff training session for all teaching staff at the setting.
Over 200 children across Years 1, 2, 3 and 6 participated in practical food prep workshops, making Fruit Kebabs, Fun on the Farm Wraps, Lynn’s Easiest Pizza and Banana and Oat Cookies, the aim being to teach children specific practical skills such as weighing, measuring, chopping and grating. The children learnt about key healthy eating messages such as striving for five portions of different coloured fruits and vegetables each day, the importance of a healthy balanced breakfast and what foods make up a healthy lunch that will fuel them through the afternoon and allow them to be calm, focused and ready to learn for the rest of the school day.
Year 3 explored the Food Waste topic, where the children contributed their ideas on reducing food waste to a group discussion and were then able to experience a practical example of this by making healthy cookies using browning bananas.
Twelve staff members attended a twilight session on the PhunkyFoods programme, focusing on its role in promoting healthy lifestyles and the link between health and academic performance. The session included an in-depth look at the PF website, and resources, including the new D&T and Food, Farming, and Health schemes.
The Health Check identified that a key topic area for the Ambassadors to work on this term would be ‘Bag a Breakfast’ as an increasing number of children were arriving at school without having eaten breakfast. Four PhunkyFood Ambassadors were trained on the topic and shared their knowledge with their peers during a whole-school assembly to 420 children.
“We have been extremely lucky to have been working with PhunkyFoods for the last few years. The programme not only provides our children with nutrition education, but also enables them to practice and develop invaluable and transferable life skills such as knife safety and chopping skills. What we find so brilliant about the programme is how accessible it is for our children and their families. All ingredients used are easily found in shops and recipes are simple for children to recreate at home.
"Additionally, parent workshops are offered which enables education to continue at home. Caroline has been fantastic with our children; activities are broken down and clearly explained so all children can access the learning. The life skills and information that PhunkyFoods delivers to our children is crucial in shaping the whole child and helping them to lead healthy, active lifestyles as they move on from primary school.”
Rebekah Johnson, Year 6 Teacher, OLQOH
“OLQOH places a high level of importance on its children receiving regular and sustained healthy lifestyle messaging via the PhunkyFoods programme, committing to ongoing engagement in practical workshops and whole-school assemblies, as well as annual participation in the PhunkyAmbassadors scheme. Plans for next term, include parent engagement events and introducing the new Food Explorers programme to the Early Years classes. I look forward to continuing my work in this engaged school and to allowing more children and their families to access key health education and practical skills sessions.”
Caroline Cotton, EDC, Crawley
FLIMBY PRIMARY SCHOOL, MARYPORT, CUMBRIA. JANUARY 2025
Flimby Primary School, located on the West Coast of Cumbria between Maryport and Workington, has around 130 pupils enrolled. Flimby was one of the first schools Susan worked with when she began her role at PhunkyFoods a year ago, and they were eager to continue collaborating this academic year.
The school aimed to improve parental engagement by offering a fun, non-threatening activity that families could enjoy together.
In Autumn 2024, we ran two after-school cook clubs for parents and children. The first was Halloween-themed, and the second focused on Christmas. Susan, led the sessions, assisted by Miss Baker, the PhunkyFoods liaison and TA at the school. We planned for 15 families to participate each session, and both were oversubscribed. The attendees ranged in age from nursery children to Year 6. We even had a KS3 pupil sneak in and join their sibling to make Halloween cookies. It was great to see mums, dads and grandparents working with their families.
After a brief introduction to hygiene rules, the PhunkyFoods website, and the Eatwell guide, the families got stuck into making Orange shortbread cookies to take home and bake.
“The PhunkyFoods sessions have been amazing and really helped with our parents joining their children in school and having fun together. Everyone seems to love attending the sessions and they all leave with massive smiles on their face. The staff at PhunkyFoods have been so helpful with booking in sessions and organising themed workshops. We couldn't ask for anything more and families seem to think more consciously about their health and diet. We will continue to work with PhunkyFoods across the year”.
Abbie Baker, TA & Phunky Foods Liaison
“I always look forward to going into Flimby School as the families are always so keen and there is a real buzz when the door opens, and they flood in to find their places and get started. It’s doubly great to return twice in a term and hear how everybody enjoyed the cookies from the first time and to learn how keen they are to join in again. Of all the fun things I get to do working for PhunkyFoods, working with parents and children to make something fun and healthy to eat is one of my favourite things. I can’t wait to visit Flimby again next term for some more cook clubs”.
Susan, PhunkyFoods EDC – Allerdale, Cumbria.
ST. EDMUND'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL, CALNE, WILTSHIRE. DECEMBER 2024
This term has seen the first Family Cook Club at Saint Edmund's Catholic Primary in Calne, Wiltshire. For four weeks our local PhunkyFoods EDC has worked with four targeted families to introduce themes such as budget eating, healthy snacking, reading and using food labels, and how to make a simple balanced lunch.
Each week the sessions focus on one or two recipes, and it is a wonderful opportunity for parents to spend some quality time with their children whilst trying out new nutritious recipes. The sessions teach the basics of how to make healthy food choices, are informative and most importantly lots of fun!
A range of dishes were created over the term including PhunkyFoods Tuna Couscous, Very Berry Cheescake, Supercrunch and of course the brilliantly simple healthy pizza recipe. For the last session families made Festive Flapjacks which is great recipe to highlight Christmas flavours whilst containing no added sugar!
"PhunkyFoods Cooking club for families has enabled the school parent relationships to strengthen by inviting them onsite to take part in extra-curricular activities. It has also allowed older siblings rare, uninterrupted 1:1 time with their parents which has had a positive effect on their wellbeing and approach to social interactions.
"Children who have taken part have shared their learning with classmates, promoting the benefits of healthy eating and making the right food choices.
"As a school we would be very keen to run the family cook club again. Staff, parents, children and volunteers have commented on the positive benefits, and we look forward to offering it to more of our community members.
"With the greatest thanks - especially as you have just rocked up and done all of the hard work!”
Frances Towers, DT Lead and Class Teacher
"I love delivering Family Cook Club sessions. It is a privilege to get to know families over subsequent weeks and talk through challenges they may face at home or just share new ideas and recipes. The best thing is how much the children relish these sessions, it really supports the work PhunkyFoods is doing in the rest of the school and adds to the holistic approach that is so important in effecting healthy lifestyle changes."
Laura, Engagement & Development Coordinator (EDC) – Wiltshire
HOLY ROSARY CATHOLIC VOLUNTARY ACADEMY, BURTON-ON-TRENT. DECEMBER 2024
In the Autumn Term 23/24 we were invited to take part in the PhunkyFoods Healthier Communities project. We have worked with Helen, our local co-ordinator for many years, on the Ambassador programme and this new project sounded like a great opportunity. I am always keen to involve our school in projects which are cross-curricular and the wider community aspect really appealed to me.
In mid November, Helen met with our Y5 class to launch the project. The children learned about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and how they can be change-makers in their own community. The children were split into groups to choose a particular goal, and to create an idea that addresses a social or environmental issue.
Helen returned in January to support the development of the group ideas, and to assist the children in preparing their video pitches. We continued to support this in school with staff helping to finalise and record their video pitches during the spring term. We were then delighted to hear that the winning group were “Illness Erasers”, with their idea of holding sports competitions to raise money for Cancer Research.
Helen made contact with local sports providers (Burton Albion Community Trust and East Staffs Sports Partnership - ESSP) who kindly agreed to support the event. In July, the children pitched their ideas to a panel consisting of staff from Phunky Foods and ESSP .
This was a great opportunity for the children to develop their self-confidence and presentation skills. Arrangements were made to progress the project in the Autumn 24/25. It made logical sense to hold the sports event alongside our annual school Macmillan fundraising bake sale on 27th September 2024. The children helped to put together a poster to advertise the event, and parents were informed of the option to make additional donations for taking part in the sports competitions.
On 27th September, when the rain finally cleared, all of our KS2 children took part in a range of sporting activities – girls / boys football events on the top yard, dance activities in the hall, followed by a dodgeball competition. It turned out to be a useful way of getting the children to burn off the energy from the cakes that they had been able to purchase at breaktime! It was wonderful to see all classes taking part and some children trying particular sports for the very first time. In total, we raised a sum of £193.20 for Cancer Research.
Marie Dyche, Headteacher, Holy Rosary Catholic Voluntary Academy
CASTLE MEAD PRIMARY SCHOOL, TROWBRIDGE, WILTSHIRE. DECEMBER 2024
Amazing Food Exploring has been taking place in Castle Mead Primary in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, this term! The children in the Nursery class have had weekly visits from Wiltshire EDC, Laura, sharing stories and recipes to encourage the children to be brave and try new foods and tastes.
The youngest children in the school; their enthusiasm has been infectious. They have made lots of wonderful dishes, from Rainbow Fruit Salads, Celeriac Remoulade to Guacamole. The children learnt how to cut and prepare the food safely and were encouraged to taste lots of ingredients. They then shared the finished dishes with their families.
It was such a success that the school are planning to invite parents in for cooking workshops with the children so that they can learn more about encouraging their children to eat a variety of foods and how to eat healthily.
“Laura is absolutely fantastic with the children. Her gentle and relaxed approach really encouraged all the children to have a go at exploring new foods. We have found the children have been much more willing to try new foods. The approach of kissing /licking has been really useful for both staff and children. They have enjoyed tasting new foods and then sharing this with families at home.
"We have noticed fine motor skills have been improved and noticeable during lunchtimes when children are demonstrating confidence and skill when using a knife and fork.
"Each week we shared with our families the story and recipe we would be exploring, then shared photos of the activities. We had really positive feedback about it all.
"We would love to work further with Laura. I would love to start a parent/child group to help parents too to explore new favours and recipes”.
Katie Hill, Teacher, Castle Mead
HEADLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL, YORK. DECEMBER 2024
Six Year 5 children continued their roles as PhunkyFoods ambassadors in the Autumn term after delivering the Snack Attack message the previous term.
Early in the Autumn term training was given on the ‘Strive for 5’ message. The ambassadors enjoyed dressing up in fruit costumes and delivered a confident and informative assembly about the importance of eating five fruit and vegetables a day and what size a portion is. They had lots of fantastic ideas of activities that they would like to complete within school to promote the five a day message. At the end of the assembly the ambassadors launched a poster competition. Children were tasked with designing a poster that encouraged people to eat five fruit and vegetables a day.
In the last week of the first half term, the ambassadors alongside Hannah from PhunkyFoods held a workshop for three classes of Key Stage 1 children. They recapped on information that had been delivered in the assembly and read The Pineapple Parade to reiterate to children that it doesn’t matter if fruit or vegetables are fresh, frozen dried or tinned they all count towards your five a day. The ambassadors put on great voices for all the different characters in the story!
To remind the Year 1 and 2 children the importance of eating a different coloured fruit and vegetables, the ambassadors played a hide and seek game. The ambassadors hid in their fruit costumes in the playground and they had a paper ticket with fruit on. The Year 1 and 2 children had to find the ambassadors and collect the five different coloured fruit tickets to make a rainbow. They were rewarded with a prize of a sticker once they had made the rainbow. Once back in class the children completed a Petra Pineapple colouring sheet before ending the session with singing along to the Phunkytunes – Gimme 5!
The final task for the ambassadors was to judge the poster competition. This was very difficult as there were some great entries. After much deliberation winners and runners up were decided, and the ambassadors presented the prizes in final awards assembly of the half term.
It has been great to see their confidence grow over the last two terms and deliver important health messages and activities to their peers with confidence. Next term, the ambassadors will be focussing on healthy snacks.
"The introduction of the PhunkyFoods Ambassadors has been a really positive step for our school. The ambassadors are really enjoying working within the different classes and have really embraced their roles. It has been excellent having Hannah come in and lead this with the children too. The school has enjoyed the assemblies they have delivered and many children took part in the poster competition. We are looking forward to continuing to raise the profile of healthy eating within our school with the help of our ambassadors next term."
Vicky Benson, Class teacher.
RICHARD TAYLOR PRIMARY SCHOOL, HARROGATE. FEBRUARY 2024
The PhunkyFoods Ambassadors at Richard Taylor Primary School have been busy working on their Healthy Lunch topic this half term. After delivering a fantastic whole school assembly the Ambassadors choose their first activity - to co-deliver a Health Lunch workshop in the reception class with their PhunkyFoods Support Worker, Beth.
The four Ambassadors from Year 5 confidently talked about the Eatwell guide, the different food groups and how this can contribute to a healthy packed lunch. As part of the session, they demonstrated safe chopping techniques to their younger peers, and then supported them to practice chopping cucumber sticks as part of the taster session that followed.
Whilst delivering the session we couldn’t not draw upon the celebrations around the Chinese New Year approaching as the children had been learning about it already in the week so we incorporated some discussion and tasters around Chinese culture and ingredients too!
The Reception children were great sports at giving everything a try! Many of them finding that they liked the Vegetable Spring Rolls, Prawn Crackers and the Salmon Dip, particularly breadsticks, and not forgetting the cucumber they had helped to prepare earlier.
The Ambassadors are now planning their second activity on the Healthy Lunch topic involving a Healthy Lunchbox patrol for later this half term.
GOSSOPS GREEN PRIMARY SCHOOL, July 2023
This term, we kicked off the PhunkyFoods Programme with a series of healthy pizza making sessions for each of our Year 5 classes, which gave the children a wonderful opportunity to make their own pizza from scratch. Each session looked at how the recipe fitted into the Eatwell Guide. Children had the opportunity to practice their knife skills, learning the bridge and claw methods, and other core food preparation skills such as measuring and grating. These fun and engaging sessions were also a great opportunity for many children to try new foods they hadn’t tasted before, in particular some of the fresh vegetables that were used for the pizza toppings.
We have focused on engaging our parent community over the last term, with our local PhunkyFoods Coordinator, Caroline Cotton, running some practical food preparation workshops for our Pupil Premium families. Parents/Carers and their children have learnt key healthy lifestyle messages during these sessions and have been given information on the Eatwell Guide to take home with them, as well as being directed to health resources and free, family-friendly recipes on the PhunkyFoods website. Both parents and children have really enjoyed making overnight oats, Greek salad and fruit kebabs during these practical sessions.
Three of our Year 5 children have taken part in the PhunkyFoods Ambassador Scheme this term and they chose to work on the topic of ‘Strive for 5’. Caroline supported the children in sharing the key health messages they had learnt by helping them to deliver an assembly to their peers, as well as run a poster competition, to which we received some fantastic entries from younger children in the school. The Ambassadors have really enjoyed their responsibilities and have done a brilliant job highlighting the importance of eating a rainbow of fruit and vegetables each day.
To finish the term, Caroline delivered a series of Transition Sessions/Healthy Eating Workshops to our Year 6 children, who are now experiencing increased independence around making their own food choices as they prepare to move up to secondary school in September. The aim of these interactive sessions was to provide the children with an increased awareness of what a healthy, balanced diets looks like and to explain how the Eatwell Guide and traffic light labelling system can be used as tools to help them make healthier food choices. These sessions also explored external influences on our food choices, looking in particular at the role of social media and advertising by the food industry.
Lucy Gianella (Assistant Principal)
CHRIST CHURCH PELLON PRIMARY SCHOOL, WEST YORKSHIRE
July 2023
We were initially contacted by PhunkyFoods asking if we wanted to take part in the Purely Nutrition NCFE Level 2 Award in Nutrition and Health of School Aged Children. Two members of staff attended this course and were able to bring back information and advice in order for us to support our school community.
Over the years we have incorporated PhunkyFoods into our yearly plan as the support and sessions they have offered have all been fantastic and so valuable to our school community. Our school link worker is Helena Glancey, who is very organised and committed to her role and we have received positive feedback from parents/carers, children and staff about her.
We have had year 5 Ambassadors who have supported in delivering assemblies and supporting in class to make an overnight oat breakfast with year 3, looking at healthy and unhealthy drinks and a session of strive for 5. The children have enjoyed their role and looked forward to their sessions with Helena.
In November 2022 the year 5 ambassadors supported in delivering a breakfast making session with the year 3 class and their parents. The ambassadors were able to support Helena in the session and enjoyed supporting their younger peers. Again, we received positive feedback from the parents/carers that attended the session, and all spoke about the benefits of eating breakfast and ideas for breakfast which are healthy.
The ambassadors have also supported in year 1 and reception to make foodie faces and to deliver the 5 a day message. The children really enjoyed this session and fun was had by all. The ambassadors enjoyed supporting the younger children and delivering their message.
We have also delivered some parent cook and eat sessions with parents/carers where parents/carers were invited into school and attended 4 sessions, where they were able to make a variety of things and learn new skills. The sessions were well attended, and we received some really good feedback from the parents/carers.
In October 2022 I approached Helena asking if she would be able to possibly deliver a slow cooker session to our families, due to the cost-of-living crisis and to promote healthy eating. We were fortunate enough to have 12 slow cookers donated to us by our PTFA. The 12 parents/carers who attended were very impressed with the level of support provided by Helena and we received very positive feedback from the parents/carers. They have continued to approach me informing me of recipes of what they have made in their slow cooker and the skills that they have learnt during the session.
Every session that we had had with Helena and PhunkyFoods has been fabulous, we have received really good feedback from the children, parents/carers and staff.
The children and their parent/carers in our community have asked for advice and support regarding healthy eating habits, supporting with meals and recipes and also gaining new skills around food preparation. This we are able to get from the PhunkyFoods team. We are so grateful for the support we have had from the service, and we will continue to use them to support our school community.
