At Elian’s British School of La Nucía we firmly believe that a school should not only provide a quality education for our pupils, but also look after their health and wellbeing. That is why we are a self-catering school with a nursing service, because good nutrition and growing up in a safe environment are some of the foundations children need to develop their full potential.
Overseeing our daily home-cooked menu is chef Marcos Illescas, who prepares each dish so that it is nutritionally balanced with different options to choose from.
To deal with medical situations that might arise during the school day, we have our nurse Rocío Cortés. Rocío also administers any treatments the pupils may need (whether they are chronic or occasional) and helps them with health issues they may have during the school year. She is also the person who accompanies them to the hospital, should it ever be necessary.
Our school nurse and our superb catering team are integral to our pupils’ wellbeing and the success of the school. Read on to find out more about what they do.
A self-catering school with a varied and balanced menu for all kinds of special diets.
“We have gluten-free, lactose-free, halal, vegan, vegetarian and diabetic options,”says Marcos Ilescas. No matter what allergies, intolerances or dietary choices our students have, the menu can be adapted to their individual needs.
We are determined to ensure no pupil feels discriminated against because of their diet.
In addition, our chef Marcos is also careful to prioritise variety, which is why “every week there is a different menu and we don’t repeat dishes before 6 or 8 weeks or so,” he says.
How menus are prepared in a self-catering school.
All dishes are freshly prepared every day. We don’t buy ready-made meals from third parties, and the food is served the same day it is prepared. It goes without saying that all kitchen staff are properly qualified
and follow the food safety protocols dictated by the Health Department.
Nursing service: a great ally in the kitchen
“New allergies can always appear, especially in the youngest children, which is why the kitchen takes special care with the introduction of food at each stage of development. However, in the event of an emergency, we follow the protocols indicated by the Spanish Association of Paediatrics, responding to an allergic reaction with antihistamines to treat the symptoms as soon as they appear”, says Rocío, our nurse.
In addition, says Rocío, “with parental authorisation, students who have a severe allergy to a particular food can leave their emergency treatment medication, medical report, and protocol instructions at the nurse’s station”. In this way, safety is maximised.
However, this type of danger is minimised, because “there are four filters to prevent allergic reactions:the list of pupils with allergies received by the canteen team; the identification labels on the dishes; special identification cards that the children carry if they have special dietary needs or allergies; and the protocol that they always sit in the same place, so staff can identify them better”.
But Rocío’s mission with food health does not end there. In her role as the school nurse, she also organises talks on food awareness and supervises first aid workshops. She also promotes fruit intake during lunch with the help of a fruit counter installed in each classroom, which is used monthly to count which group has eaten the most fruit. This is a fun and playful way to encourage students to eat foods which are rich in vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre, and offer so many health benefits.
As you can see, the kitchen and nursing services work hand-in-hand to guarantee the health and welfare of all our students. We take great pride in providing these valuable amenities to our pupils and families.
