The quality mark, awarded by West Northamptonshire Council, recognises schools that have a strong approach to promoting healthy eating through teaching and engagement.

Hardingstone Academy has earned the gold award after demonstrating positive healthy eating habits, including a pupil-led fruit and vegetable tuck shop, a gardening club and a cooking club. The school agreed its approach to healthy eating based on lunchbox audits, pupil questionnaires and school meal uptake data.

The gold award also celebrates the school’s promotion of good oral health, particularly among pupils in the school’s SEND provision Butterfly Meadow, through pupil education and parent engagement.

Hardingstone Academy Head of School Gill Glenn said: “We pride ourselves on being a healthy school and work collaboratively with the children and their families to promote good food choices.

“We are thrilled to have received our gold Healthy Schools Award. This award belongs to our pupils who are passionate about health and take the lead in promoting healthy habits both in school and at home.”

The assessors said: “Hardingstone Academy should be incredibly proud of this achievement. The school has demonstrated a genuine commitment to improving health and wellbeing outcomes through practical, engaging and inclusive interventions.

“The healthy eating project has successfully created opportunities for pupils to build knowledge, skills and positive attitudes towards food, whilst the oral health intervention has provided targeted support for a group of pupils who may otherwise face additional barriers to accessing health education.

“Overall, this is a strong Gold Award submission that demonstrates effective use of pupil voice, practical learning experiences, targeted support and sustainable approaches to improving health and wellbeing. Congratulations on a thoroughly deserved achievement!”