You’re invited to a Stakeholder Workshop to give your views on the length and timing of school lunch breaks and to discuss any associated health and well-being impacts. This will form part a Health Impact Assessment of school lunch breaks in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan schools. Please contact Lorna Bennett (see below) for further information about Health Impact Assessment. 

Background Information:

The length of the school lunchtime is vitally important for enabling children and young people to eat well and participate in physical activity.  A report by the Local Authorities Catering Association (2011) found that on average, pupils have just 32 minutes lunch break (28 minutes in primary schools, and 33 minutes in secondary). Surveys conducted across Cardiff schools in 2007 and 2013 have shown considerable variation in the duration and timing of lunchtimes between schools. The surveys have highlighted unintended consequences of short school lunch times; for example by reducing uptake of free school meals and opportunities for physical activity. Lack of participation in physical activity at an early age is more likely to lead to sedentary lifestyles in later life and be a contributing factor to related health problems such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Recommendations made in 2013 following the two surveys included:

• A minimum school lunch break of 45 minutes and an ideal school lunch break of 75 minutes
• The school lunch break to begin at 1pm at the latest and an ideal lunch break to begin at 12.30pm
• The  re-introduction of staggered lunchtimes

The Stakeholder Workshop will consider the implementation of the recommendations for school lunch breaks made in 2013 and will draw together a range of stakeholder views on potential health and well-being impacts for pupils across schools in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. 

If you would like to attend the workshop, please email Lorna.Bennett@wales.nhs.uk or telephone 029 2184 1951 to confirm your attendance by Friday 29th January.