The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) provides a free piece of fruit or veg to every 4-6 year-old who attends a fully state-funded primary, infant or special school – roughly 450 million pieces of fruit a year to 2.3 million children.

Fruit and vegetables are a good source of the nutrients that children need and form part of a healthy, well-balanced diet.

As with adults, it’s recommended that children eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Research shows, however that on average children in England eat only about three portions, with many eating fewer.

For handy tips on how to get more fruit and veg into your children’s diet, read 5 A Day and your family.

The SFVS provides one of their 5 A Day portions and the scheme also helps to increase awareness of the importance of eating fruit and vegetables, encouraging healthy eating habits that can be carried into later life.

The fruit and vegetables are delivered to our school three times a week to ensure freshness. Depending on the season, there is a choice of:

• bananas
• apples
• pears
• carrots
• tomatoes
• easy-peel citrus fruits, such as satsumas

Occasionally, strawberries are offered when they are in season.

All the fruit and vegetables are washed before they are handed out, which is usually just before the mid-morning break.

They are not handed out at lunchtime, however and this is to ensure that the fruit and vegetables supplied are not simply replacing the fruit and vegetables that might have been eaten at lunchtime anyway.

Our supplier is Minor, Weir and Willis – https://www.mww.co.uk/.