Safer Eating in Early Years
At The Drive, we want mealtimes and snack times to be safe, happy and enjoyable for every child.
Young children can be more at risk of choking, so we follow current Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) guidance to help children eat safely. Children are always appropriately seated and closely supervised by staff while eating.
Keeping children safe
We:
- prepare food in a way that is suitable for each child's age and stage of development
- cut foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes lengthways and into quarters
- remove stones, pips and bones and prepare harder foods carefully
- do not give children under five whole nuts, and avoid foods such as popcorn, marshmallows and hard sweets because of the choking risk
- make sure children are sitting safely and are supervised throughout eating
- provide healthy, balanced and nutritious food in line with current Early Years guidance.
Allergies and individual needs
We work closely with parents and carers to understand each child's allergies, intolerances, dietary requirements and individual needs. Please let us know about any requirements your child has and tell us promptly if these change.
By working together, we can help make eating at school a safe, positive and enjoyable experience for all our children.
Further information: Parents and carers can find more advice in the Department for Education's Help for Early Years Providers: Food Safety guidance.