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Health and wellbeing

Sugar Smart Schools

Make your school more Sugar Smart this Autumn and join the hundreds of schools in Devon getting ready to take part in Sugar Smart September!

Sugar Smart September campaign logo

Why become a Sugar Smart school?

Sugar Smart activity can raise the importance of healthy diets and provide the school community with the knowledge and skills to be serious about reducing sugar and getting off the sugar rollercoaster!

Becoming more Sugar Smart can have a range of benefits for schools, such as improving pupil physical and mental health. Healthier children are happier, and both health and life satisfaction are associated with better learning and educational outcomes. Sugar Smart can complement the PSHE curriculum and provide opportunities for getting young people involved in making changes to the food environment.

What is the issue?

Excess sugar consumption in children is linked with poorer physical, mental, and dental health, and contributes to the current high levels of childhood obesity – one in four children in Devon are currently overweight or obese.

Infographic showing children are eating three times the recommended amount of sugar each day. 1 in 3 children in Year 6 are overweight. Tooth extraction is the largest cause of admission to hospital in 5-9 year old children. Some people eat as many as 40 teaspoons of sugar every day, that's more than 5 times the recommended daily allowance.

  • Children are eating three times the recommended amount of sugar each day.
  • 1 in 3 children in Year 6 are overweight.
  • Tooth extraction is the largest cause of admission to hospital in 5-9 year old children.
  • Some people eat as many as 40 teaspoons of sugar every day, that’s more than 5 times the recommended daily allowance.

Sugar Smart Devon

Sugar Smart is a nationwide campaign run by Sustain and supported by Jamie Oliver, which looks to promote health by improving diet and reducing sugar consumption. The campaign encourages communities, organisations and businesses to make small changes that will help to create environments where the healthy choice becomes the easier choice – it’s about being SUGAR SMART, not sugar free.

Our local Devon campaign was one of the first in the country and is being supported by several partners including Devon County Council, The University of Exeter, and Sustain.

What can your school do?

Schools across Devon can sign up to the ‘Sugar Smart September campaign’ in readiness for the start of the autumn term. School can then make a pledge about how they will make healthier choices easier for students and staff and raise awareness about the risks of excessive sugar consumption.

We would like all schools to pledge to undertake some of our Sugar Smart actions, which are split into three key areas:

  • Promoting and providing healthy lunches and snacks
  • Encouraging water consumption
  • Raising awareness of Sugar Smart messages

Throughout Sugar Smart September, we will be promoting the action local schools are taking to tackle sugar.

How do schools sign up?

It is important to understand which Devon schools are actively engaged with the Sugar Smart September campaign so please be sure to register your school’s Sugar Smart participation online.

Useful information to support your school with Sugar Smart Devon:

Once you register your school on the Sugar Smart website you will be able to access a library of free resources and information to support your sugar smart activity.

You will also be added to the mailing list to receive the Sugar Smart Devon campaign newsletter (unless you would like to opt out).

Please email if you have any questions about signing up, or about the campaign in general.

If you think that the child is at risk of significant harm, contact our Front Door directly by calling 0345 155 1071. In an emergency call 999.


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