A city school which has been pioneering fish oil to improve pupils’ behaviour and study today welcomed moves to roll it out to children in every school in the country.
A city school which has been pioneering fish oil to improve pupils’ behaviour and study today welcomed moves to roll it out to children in every school in the country.
Eaton Hall Special School in Norwich says the use of fish oil tablets has made a difference to students’ performance, despite the fact it has only been in action for a few months.
The revelation comes as the government moves ahead with plans to offer Omega 3 pills in classrooms throughout the country.
A group of 38 boys aged 10-16 at the school have been given the pills as part of a special trial.
The trial, which started in January, was the first in the country to involve children with special needs, which includes conditions such as autism, dyslexia and Asperger syndrome.
Lianne Quantrill, project co-ordinator at the school, said: “There is a real feeling that things have improved because of the supplements.
“We have noticed there has been a decline in the physical management we have to offer to students. We have also noticed that the year 11s (16-year-olds) are far less unsettled about their exams than they have been in previous years.”
Fish oils are believed to boost children’s brain power because they are high in essential fatty acids, known as Omega 3.
Education Secretary Alan Johnson revealed this week that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) had been asked by the government to provide a definite opinion on whether the fish oils benefit children - it is the first step to getting the green light to offer them in all UK classrooms.
Pupils at Eaton Hall were tested on numeracy and literacy before they started taking the pills, which they swallow at 9am each day and again after lunch.
Similar tests will be carried out next month to see whether the perceived improvement in behaviour has also been matched by progess in the academic field.
Mrs Quantrill said: “If the results do turn out to be fantastic then the problem comes as to how we can continue to offer the supplements.
“It is £20 for a tub of 180 pills and most of the parents are from lower socio-economic backgrounds, while the school budgets are tight at the moment.”
The tablets have been given to the school free of charge, from manufacturers Equazen.
A prior study of fish oil supplements at Fleetwood Sports College in Lancashire suggests they do have a positive impact, with pupils improving their GCSE results after a 12-week stint on the pills.
Critics of the supplements say they are a lazy alternative to a balanced diet.
SOURCE: Norwich Evening News
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