WASCA receives many requests for resources to assist schools to manage their food services more efficiently. The following resources are available for this purpose.

Fact sheets

• Camps and the Healthy Food and Drink policy
• Catering for young athletes
• Colour coding drinks in the canteen
• Excursions and the Healthy Food and Drink policy
• FAQs about drinks in the canteen
• Food additives
• Halloween in the canteen
• Managing the transition of Year 7 students to high school – Primary school fact sheet | High school fact sheet
• Marketing to students in secondary schools
• Myths and facts about all things food and nutrition
• Promotion ideas in the canteen
• Raising funds for your school: The healthy way
• Sports carnivals – Keeping health messages on track
• What’s all the fuss about:  fat, sugar and salt
• What’s on a label: a simple fact sheet to help you make the healthiest choice when shopping
• Winding down for the end of the school year
• Thinking of starting a canteen? See our step by step guide on Starting a new canteen or food service.

Sample canteen/food service policy

A policy is a formal document adopted and endorsed by the school community that sets out the aims and principles of the school canteen/food service. It can help to bring about and sustain change and provides guidance for all food and drinks offered in the school setting. Part of compliance with the Department of Education’s Healthy Food and Drink policy requires schools to have a written canteen/food service policy. WASCA is available to review draft policies. Download the sample policy.

Canteen daily procedures template

Are you a new Canteen Supervisor? At the request of our members we’ve produced a new editable template that provides guidance on the sorts of processes and procedures that occur on a daily basis in a school canteen. Download the daily procedures template here. 

Developing positive working relationships

There are a number of documents that can assist in ensuring good communication and business operations exist between the employee (e.g. Canteen Supervisor) and employer (e.g.parent body/school):

• Parent Body Check-in: sometimes employers want to engage with the canteen but don’t know where to start. This tool will help to check in with staff, ensure best practice procedures are followed and assist in making plans for the future
• Action plan template: an editable document that can assist the canteen to decide what plans for change are being made, how they will be achieved and by whom
• Canteen report to parent body template: an editable template canteen staff can use to provide regular reports to their employer e.g. monthly/bi-monthly reports to be presented at parent body meetings.

Gift certificates/vouchers

Gift certificates/vouchers are a great way to generate a little extra business for the canteen and spread a little joy at your school. Staff can buy these to give to other staff members to say ‘thanks’ and parents can purchase them for their children to give to teachers as a special thank you. You can also encourage the head of departments to buy one for each of their staff as a way to say “well done team”. Teachers may also like to purchase a pack of 10 at the beginning of each term as a way to reward students in the classroom. This also supports the Healthy Food and Drink policy by using non-food based rewards in the classroom. Marketing Don’t forget, with any marketing strategy you need to get the word out there so make sure you advertise how easy it is to get a voucher from the canteen.

• Use tag lines such as ‘Gift us to assist us’; or ‘Show you care, say thanks with a gift voucher’
• Advertise the vouchers on social media (e.g. school, canteen or P&C Facebook page), school website and newsletter
• Leave a stack in the front office for Administration staff to sell on the behalf of the canteen
• Promote on a blackboard/whiteboard outside the canteen.

Tips

• As a safety measure we encourage you to sign the voucher; stamp the back of each voucher with a custom stamp (i.e. not one than can be easily copied); and/or create numbered codes with sequential numbers
• Keep a record of those given out and how much they are for. The records for this are important for your sales
• Consider an expiry date for when the voucher in valid to
• Printing on thick certificate paper and in colour will make them more professional.

WASCA has developed two different vouchers for you:

1. Word format
   • This version is fully editable
   • Simply add your school logo, value and any other details before you print
     • Gift certificate word format
2. PDF
   • This version cannot be edited
   • Once printed simply write who it is to and who it is from
     • Gift certificate .50c
     • Gift certificate $1:00
     • Gift certificate $2:00
     • Gift certificate $3:00
     • Gift certificate $5:00
     • Gift certificate $10:00

Fundraising kit

Healthy fundraising is made easy with these ideas. Fundraising does not always have to involve food or drinks, there are many non-food based ideas within this resource which should help you on your way to raising funds for your school! Click on the link below to download this resource: Fundraising kit

Healthy food posters

 

Traffic light poster

This handy A3 printable version of the Traffic light poster is perfect for displaying in the canteen or classroom. The poster has recently been translated for those families where English is an additional language or dialect (EALD/D), see a full list below.

Arabic      Burmese      Dari     Dinka     Filipino     Hindi     Indonesian     Japanese    Karen Korean 

   Malay       Persian    Simplified Chinese     Swahili      Thai     Tigrinya     Vietnamese

Management $ense Food Sense, the essential guide to food service in your school.

Do you want to manage your canteen more efficiently and profitably? Then, this is a MUST HAVE resource. Developed by FOCiS, the national body representing school canteens of all education systems, the package was designed as a stand-alone resource as well as one compatible with the TAFE School Canteen Management Course and the training for StarCAP. It includes 150 pages of information (including recipes), templates and an interactive CD which will allow you to develop your own management kit to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your small business. For prices or to order, download a Management $ense Food Sense order form.

National School Canteen Food Safety Project – Looking after our Kids

Looking After Our kids is a video and handbook resource for school Principals, parent bodies, canteen managers, canteen assistants and volunteers to help them understand and comply with the Food Safety Standards. This national project, an initiative of FOCiS, was coordinated by WASCA, and funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing. This resource is now available online from Food Standards Australia and New Zealand.

Please note the information contained in these resources may not be current as these resources predate Standard 3.3.1, which now requires businesses that provide meals for vulnerable people in our community who are at greater risk of foodborne illness, such as the very young and the elderly, to have a documented food safety program. The Commonwealth and the State and Territory Governments provide no warranty that the information contained in these resources is correct or complete for an individual or business operation. The onus is upon the individual or business operation to ensure compliance with relevant food legislation. It is recommended that you seek guidance from your local food authority to ensure that all local requirements are met.

 

Buyer’s Guide – Star Choice™ Registered Products.

This resource is updated bi-annually and is forwarded to all schools without cost. Schools are advised of any alterations or new products registered after production of the Buyer’s Guide in the Association’s quarterly newsletter. The Star Choice™ Registered Product online database will be updated monthly.

 

 

Canteen Cuisine

Sponsored by HBF and developed by WASCA, Canteen Cuisine is a collation of food ideas and healthy recipes that have proved popular with students. These have been collected from many different sources, including many school canteens. The recipes have been quantified to yield 10, 25 and 50 serves and have been selected for their ease of preparation and simplicity of ingredients. Many of the recipes are equally suitable for the home or other catering settings. Give those menus new zest, contact WASCA for your copy, at only $10:00  they are a bargain. Download the Canteen Cuisine Cookbook Traffic Light Classification list

The school canteen is an integral part of the learning environment, and as such should operate in a manner that supports the health messages of curriculum. Schools* are required to follow the Department of Education’s Healthy Food and Drink (HFD) policy.

The HFD policy applies to all areas of the school where the Principal is responsible for the supply of food and drinks. For example, the canteen/food service (canteen), classroom rewards, excursions and camps, classroom cooking activities and school based fundraising. Principals are encouraged to promote consistent messages about healthy lifestyles in all school activities. Download our simple infographic for more information about HFD policy compliance.

We have also developed a range of compliance checklists: 

• Canteen checklist
• Parent body checklist
• Principal checklist
• Teacher checklist

The HFD policy is based on the:

• Australian Dietary Guidelines; Australian Guide to Healthy Eating
• Health Promoting Schools Framework
• Traffic light system of categorising items as green, amber or red.

Part of compliance includes developing of a school HFD policy which allows all members of the school community to have input and develops a sense of ‘ownership’ of the canteen with all sectors of the school. A sample policy template can be downloaded from the WASCA website.

* The HFD policy is mandated in all public schools. The Catholic Education Office has mandated a policy based on the Department of Education’s policy.    

Not all schools in WA operate canteens. Some use outside providers such as delicatessens, service stations or catering companies to provide a food service to their school. It is recommended  these schools also have a clear policy for the food and drink offered by outside service providers as it is equally important that all students have access to healthy choices and food that has been prepared in a hygienic manner. Outside service providers of food and drinks to students of Government schools must meet the Healthy Food and Drink Policy set by the Government.

Meeting the minimum standards

Check out the latest results from the HFD survey conducted by WASCA and Curtin University (2016).

The Department of Education’s Healthy Food and Drink policy promotes food drinks and snacks being available in schools that support the consumption of a diet consistent with the Australian Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents and the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Childhood and adolescence are important periods of growth and development and for these to occur optimally, adequate energy and nutrients must be eaten.

When planning school menus, emphasis should be given to the following foods that contribute significantly to meeting students’ nutritional needs:

• Breads and cereal foods, e.g. rice, pasta, especially wholegrain varieties
• Fruit – preferably fresh, but including frozen and canned
• Vegetables – fresh, frozen and canned
• Reduced fat varieties of milk, cheese, yoghurt
• Lean meats, skin-free poultry, fish, eggs, baked beans and other legumes
• Plain water

When determining what a serve of fruits and vegetable are use this handy What is a serve checklist, it also has a great Fruit & Veg September: 30 day challenge calendar.

Traffic light system of categorising food and drinks

Download a copy of “What’s on the menu” which shows examples of ‘GREEN’, ‘AMBER’ and ‘RED’ items.Food and drinks classified ‘GREEN’ in the ‘traffic light’ system and are recommended for everyday consumption. The majority of what is offered on a canteen or food service menu should be from the ‘GREEN’ section and these should be promoted as the healthiest choices. A MINIMUM of 60% of all foods, drinks and snacks offered by the canteen must come from ‘GREEN’ choices.

Food and drinks classified as ‘AMBER’ in the ‘traffic light’ system are not recommended as ‘every day’ choices and their availability to students should be limited. NOT MORE THAN 40% of foods, drinks and snacks offered can be ‘AMBER’ products.

Food and drinks categorised as ‘RED’ in the ‘traffic light’ system and are not permitted in WA public school canteens or food services. There is ample opportunity to consume ‘RED’ food and drinks outside school hours at the discretion of parents and carers.

Download a copy of the new Traffic light poster in A3 to display in the canteen

A recent review of the Traffic light system for WA schools has resulted in changes to the colour coding of a small number of food and drink items.  These changes are effective from 1  July 2017. For a list of changes that may impact your menu see the Traffic light changes document. 

Many canteens in WA schools are operated by the parent body i.e. the Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) in government schools and Parents and Friends (P&F) in non-government schools.

WASCA has many resources for parent bodies to guide them in ensuring that their school canteen not only provides a healthy profitable food service that is compliant with the Department of Education’s Healthy Food and Drink Policy but also  contribute to creating a healthy environment in the school.

We have also developed a range of compliance checklists with a specific  Parent Body checklist that covers everything you need to know about complying with the policy.

If your school has decided to investigate opening a canteen/food service we encourage you to download our step-by-step guide to Starting a new canteen/food service. 

The Western Australian Council of State School Organisations Inc. (WACSSO)

WACSSO is the peak body representing parents of public school children in Western Australia. WACSSO’s role is to provide information on governance, and running a successful P&C.

The 2022 WACSSO P&C Handbook is an annual essential guide to running an effective P&C association. To access the Handbook visit the “Resources” page of the WACSSO website.

Check out the latest news from WACSSO, including managing the impact of COVID-19 in schools.

Canteen committee guidelines and terms of reference

Having a Canteen Committee can enhance the way your canteen operates and ensures good governance. Download our Canteen Committee terms of reference which can be adapted to suit the needs of your school.

Developing positive working relationships

There are a number of documents that can assist in ensuring good communication and business operations exist between the employer (e.g.parent body/school) and employee (e.g. Canteen Supervisor):

• Parent Body Check-in: sometimes employers want to engage with the canteen but don’t know where to start. This tool will help to check in with staff, ensure best practice procedures are followed and assist in making plans for the future
• Action plan template: an editable document that can assist the canteen to decide what plans for change are being made, how they will be achieved and by whom
• Canteen report to parent body template: an editable template canteen staff can use to provide regular reports to their employer e.g. monthly/bi-monthly reports to be presented at parent body meetings.

WASCA presented a webinar at the 2020 WACSSO Conference titled ‘Running a canteen- easy to digest’. The resources above were a focus of this webinar, we encourage to watch it on the eCanteens page.   

Employment documents

Staff review template is a great resource for employers (e.g. Parent body) and employees (canteen staff and/or volunteers) to reflect on the school canteen operations, staff performance and set goals that will benefit the whole school community.

Canteen Supervisor/staff sample interview questions can help to ensure the person most suited to the advertised position is employed.

Having a written job description for all staff is essential. Job descriptions provide brief overview of the role, how it relates to your school/canteen vision, and a list of key responsibilities, requirements and qualifications. The job description spells out what is expected of the employee and provides the direction to achieve successful job performance. This sample should be used as a guide only and adapted accordingly. Care should be taken to follow all Award and other Industrial Relations conditions.

Fundraising

Fundraising in schools provides much needed funds which can contribute to classroom resources, books for the library, school camps, sporting equipment and other resources.

While fundraising activities in public school undertaken by the P&C are not included in the scope the Healthy Food and Drink Policy it is pleasing that many schools are adopting a whole school approach to healthy eating and seeking healthier alternatives.  Advocating for healthy fundraising within the school community can seem like a daunting task.  WASCA has developed an Advocating for healthy fundraising template to make this easier. This template focuses on Easter egg raffles, but is easily edited to suit the situation or activity in your school, as well as the target audience

Healthier fundraisers can:

1. complement nutrition, health and physical activity messages taught in the classroom
2. reinforce the work of canteens/food services
3. form part of a supportive environment for children’s health
4. provide personal satisfaction of being a positive role model
5. support the HFD policy.

For a complete list of ideas and suggestions download our fundraising kit.

Most schools will have a sausage sizzle as a fundraiser throughout the school year, they are a quick and effective way to raise funds. For a successful and healthy  sausage sizzle see our Sausage Sizzle fact sheet. There is also information on how you can make the next election day ‘sizzle’ a success.

Special Events

School events that the Principal is directly responsible for such as sports carnivals, class parties, theme days and open days must comply with the Department of Education’s Healthy Food and Drink Policy. Parent body events such as fundraising and discos are encouraged to comply.

When organising your next event aim for green choices!

Just Pizza Company’s range of ready-made focaccia based pizzas are classified as green, are easy to heat and serve and can be cut into various sizes – perfect for special event days. Just Pizza Company can deliver to your school, and no account is needed, making the healthy choice the easy choice. Contact Just Pizza Company for more information.

Catering menus

The Healthy Food and Drink (HFD) Catering Guidelines have been developed to provide guidance to WA schools when organising events such as:

• Staff training courses, workshops and meetings
• Meetings or forums with an education or business focus
• Official events, such as program launches and awards nights
• Graduations and open nights
• School community events, such as P&C functions.

The Guidelines provide lots of useful tips and recipe links to make catering for any event easy and healthy.

Healthy School Healthy Student – a guide for parent bodies

The purpose of this resource is to make suggestions and provide practical tips to parent bodies on how they can contribute to the creation of a healthy environment at their school whilst supporting the Department of Education’s Healthy Food and Drink (HFD) policy. You can download a copy of the Healthy School Healthy Student guide or contact WASCA for a hard copy.

Menu content

Conducting a survey can be a great way of ensuring you are meeting the needs of the school community. Use our Canteen survey for students to gather information to inform your menu decisions. The questions in this template are aimed at students, we have an additional Canteen survey for parents and staff.

Factsheets

• Why aren’t we making a profit
• Promotion ideas in the canteen
• Setting menu prices
• Winding down for the end of the school year