Braes High initiative wins Best Breakfast Club in Scotland award

Braes High staff and pupils were served the good news the school had claimed first prize in a nationwide competition sponsored by Kellogg’s.

A delegation made of teachers and students will visit the House of Commons in 2020 to collect the Best Breakfast Club award and valuable funding to be spent on a polytunnel so youngsters can grow their own fruit and vegetables.

The club brings together various strands of school activity, including health and wellbeing, ensuring youngsters are well prepared for learning and poverty-proofing the school day.

Providing an organised and stimulating environment to make sure pupils’ nutritional needs are met is at the heart of the project, which encourages the whole school community to eat breakfast and try new foods on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The key ingredient, though, is the fact youngsters are responsible for making their own breakfast and able to use a range of equipment to do so, such as hot plates, grills and omelette makers. Pupils can also choose from an array of free range, fresh ingredients sourced from Balquhatstone Mains farm in Slamannan which supplies the breakfast club with locally grown fruit, vegetables and eggs.

Kevin Smith, the school’s head of health and wellbeing, said: “I think this is one of the best initiatives currently on-going at Braes High. The dedicated staff have made it such a success. Pupils are engaged in learning how to make a healthy breakfast, have created a positive ethos and are making new friends.

“Pupils have also grown in confidence not only in terms of cooking skills but social skills. Staff and pupils making breakfast together has created a positive working atmosphere which is a great way to start and end the week.”