POLL: Bradford school bans sausage rolls in lunchboxes - was it right decision?

Parent Steve Fryer said his son's sausage roll was removed last Monday and given back to him at the end of the day by staff at Shirley Manor Primary Academy.

The school says it acted in accordance w following government guidelines on by encouraging parents to seek more healthy alternatives. It states pork pies, sausage rolls and pepperoni sticks should not be included in packed lunches, and neither should fruit squash or flavoured water.

It says this is because they are high in salt and saturated fat and the school is keen to promote a balanced diet.

The policy says pupils are encouraged to show their packed lunches to staff before and after they have eaten.

Mr Fryer said the school should "stick to teaching kids".

A spokesman for the school told the Yorkshire Post: "We want to ensure that our children eat well and grow up understanding the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

“We have written to parents to let them know how we want to work together from this term to ensure their children eat a balanced meal.”

“It is important that pupils avoid eating too much food that is high in sugar, salt and saturated fats. This includes things like pork pies and sausage rolls, sweets and fizzy drinks in their packed lunches.

“Children are allowed a treat each day and we have invited parents into school to discuss their children’s dietary needs.

“On this occasion, the child was offered a choice of healthier alternatives and chose to have a ham sandwich with his crisps, fruit and biscuits that he brought from home. We will always ensure that our children are given a choice of healthier alternatives from our menu so they have a full lunch.

“We want to work with our parents to ensure pupils are happy and healthy in school and that these changes work for every child.

“We held a drop in sessions for parents today to discuss our approach to healthy eating and those attending were wholly supportive of the changes we have made.

“Since the policy was introduced the vast majority of parents have been very supportive and we have seen a big increase in the number of children coming to school with healthy food in their packed lunchboxes. The children are enjoying the healthy food initiative and are trying new foods.”