A new cook and nutritionist have been brought in to revamp the menu at a Wallingford primary school as part of a major healthy eating campaign.

Fir Tree Junior School in Radnor Road is testing the new initiative for a year. If successful, it plans to make it a permanent arrangement.

Headteacher Lee Ryman said the school governors had decided to employ their own cook to raise the standard of meals.

She said: "We want to be able to provide a nutritious lunch for the children. We are increasing the amount of money being spent on ingredients and using less processed and lot more fresh food."

Miss Ryman said the school was working with a nutritionist to make sure the menu offered well balanced meals.

She said: "The old menu was mostly processed food, it was not good at all. The emphasis now is on more fresh vegetables, fruit instead of cake and sandwiches with brown bread."

Miss Ryman thought the new menu would increase in popularity as children recommended it to each other.

She said the pupils had responded positively to the changes, adding: "One of our pupils, Harry Castle, whose father is a governor, raised £125 through company sponsors, to pay for each child at the school to sample the new menu."

Pupils will still have the option to bring their own packed lunch to school.

Wallingford mayor Betty Atkins joined pupils last Tuesday on the first day of the new menu for a taste test.

Mrs Atkins, a former governor, said: "It encourages children to eat more healthily, especially if they don't eat very well at home."