Smile 360 - Oral Health advice and information
Healthy, happy smiles!
We are excited to announce that we have launched a fantastic new initiative to become a Tooth-Friendly Setting!
As part of our commitment to promoting Oral Health in school, we are working in partnership with the Oral Health Smile 360 team
What does this mean for your child? Please take a look at the below information for what we have planned.
🦷 We Are a Tooth-Friendly Setting!
Marsh Baldon Primary School is proud to be a Tooth-Friendly Setting.
As part of our Smile 360 Accreditation, we are committed to promoting and protecting the oral health and wellbeing of all children in our care.
To support us in this mission, we ask families to follow our Tooth-Friendly Guidelines:
🍎 Tooth-Friendly Snacks
It is recommended that sugary foods and drinks are only consumed at main mealtimes and that snacks are sugar free.
This helps reduce how often teeth are exposed to sugar and keeps them strong and healthy.
âś… Great snack choices:
- Fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, crackers, natural or plain yogurt, rice cakes
đźš« Snacks to avoid:
- Dried or cooked fruit (including fruit winders and fruit bars), cereal bars, cakes or biscuits and pre-packed children’s snacks containing sugar
đź’§ Drinks
Frequent sipping on drinks that are acidic or sugary can increase the risk of tooth decay.
We strongly encourage that the only drink brought into school is water — this keeps children hydrated, helps concentration, and protects their teeth.
In some cases, milk may also be provided.
If your child struggles to drink water or you’re concerned about hydration, please speak to a member of staff who will be happy to support you.
đź’Š Medications
Many medications contain sugar. Wherever possible, please ask your GP or pharmacist for a sugar-free alternative.
If this isn’t possible, try to give the medication with meals to reduce sugar exposure.
When that’s not practical, aim to keep your child’s diet sugar-free around the time they take the medication.
🎉 Celebrations
Birthdays are special occasions, and we love celebrating them!
To protect all children’s teeth, we discourage bringing sweets or cakes into school.
If every child brought in birthday treats, this could add up to 30 extra portions of sugary snacks per year per child.
We make sure every child still feels celebrated — for example, by wearing a birthday hat and singing songs.
If cakes or sweets are brought in, they will be sent home at the end of the day with the child for families to decide when they’re eaten.
If you’d like to bring something in for your child’s birthday, we encourage:
- Fresh fruit children don’t usually have (e.g. melon or berries)
- Stickers or small non-food items
- A book donation for the classroom
Thank you for your cooperation. Together, we can help every child enjoy a healthy smile for life.
Easy adjustments to packed lunches, snacks and drinks
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60 Second VegPower Lunchbox Tips | [pdf 2MB] |
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Sugary Drinks: how much sugar is there in your smoothie | [pdf 10MB] |
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Easy ideas for snacks and lunchboxes | [pdf 4MB] |
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More healthy lunchbox ideas | [pdf 354KB] |
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NHS Food Scanner App
Scan, Swipe and Swap your way to better health!
Looking for easy ways to build healthier habits at home? The Food Scanner app is a handy health hack for families that helps them to swap unhealthy foods that are high in saturated fat, sugar and salt, to healthier choices.
By simply scanning and swiping barcodes, the app shows how much saturated fat, salt and sugar is in everyday foods and drinks and gives suggestions for healthier alternatives. A fun augmented reality feature helps you celebrate your good choices.
By making a few easy swaps, you can make a real difference to your child’s health. Download the Food Scanner app on the Apple app store or Google Play store.
The Eatwell Guide
The Eatwell Guide defines the government’s advice on a healthy balanced diet.
It is a visual representation of how different foods and drinks can contribute towards a healthy balanced diet.
The Eatwell Guide is based on the 5 food groups and shows how much of what you eat should come from each food group.
Please see the booklet below for more information
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Eatwell Guide Booklet | [pdf 7MB] |
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Meals, Milk & Snacks
School Lunches
School meals are provided by Oxfordshire County Council. We have a kitchen on site and our cook, Louise, cooks our meals each day.
The latest school menu is below, and copies are also available from the office.
All pupils in Key Stage 1 (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) are entitled to receive a free school meal, through the Universal Infant Free School Meals scheme.
For children in Year 3 upwards, lunch currently costs ÂŁ2.90. Lunches needs to be paid for in advance either daily, weekly or termly. If you think you may be eligible for a Free School Meal, please let us know.
Children may bring their own packed lunch if they prefer, and the class eat together at lunchtime in the hall. When putting your child's packed lunch together, please look at the Vegpower lunchbox tips below, as well as the information on the NHS Food Scanner App
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Main Menu April 2026 | [pdf 589KB] |
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GF DF Menu April 2026 | [pdf 588KB] |
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DF Menu April 2026 | [pdf 524KB] |
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GF Menu April 2026 | [pdf 588KB] |
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School Milk Scheme
By registering your child for our school milk scheme they will receive a 189ml (third of a pint) carton of semi-skimmed milk every day. This is delivered fresh and chilled to their classroom every day (unfortunately the scheme is not able to provide a dairy-free alternative).
“How much does it cost?”
Thanks to government subsidies, school milk is free for all under-fives and is subsided at around ÂŁ15 a term for children aged five or older.
“Why should I register my child?”
School milk provides your child with essential nutrients such as calcium and protein, for strong, healthy teeth and bones. It is also rehydrating and energy boosting, helping to bridge the long gap between breakfast and lunch so children stay focused.
“How do I register my child?”
All children under 5 are registered by the school and will receive milk when they start in Reception. For children over five:
Go to www.coolmilk.com
Pay Cool Milk online, over the phone, at a local PayPoint or by cheque in instalments to suit you.
Just pay by a Tuesday for your child’s milk to start the following week.
“How do I find out more?”
Visit www.coolmilk.com or contact Cool Milk directly on 0800 321 3248.
School Fruit & Vegetable Scheme
When your child is in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, they will receive a piece of fruit or a vegetable at breaktime each day.
The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS) is a government programme that entitles every child in England, aged 4-6 in fully state-funded schools to a piece of fruit or vegetable each school day, this equates to approximately 2.3m children in approximately 16,300 schools.
The scheme was introduced following the NHS Plan, launched in 2000, which included a commitment to implement a national fruit and vegetable scheme by 2004. The SFVS is funded by the Department of Health.
The SFVS is part of the national 5 A DAY programme. Fruit and vegetables are key to a healthy lifestyle and it is recommended that children eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day. Research has indicated that on average children in England only eat around three portions daily, with many eating fewer.