IT'S news to make Jamie Oliver's heart sink.

According to Duffryn High School head teacher Jon Wilson, the favourite meal among the nearly 1,300 pupils is "cheese and chips", along with a variety of pasties and pies.

When the Argus visited the Newport school at lunchtime, children of all ages spent their lunch hour 'eating on the move' - they wandered the school grounds carrying their pizza, beans and chips in throw-away cartons.

But Mr Wilson, a former athlete who represented Wales in the 400m and 800m, and still cycles to work from Cardiff three times a week, is on a mission to change the eating habits and meal culture at his school. Within five weeks, nearly 1,300 pupils at Duffryn will be subject to a ban on chocolate, crisps and fizzy drinks within school. Chips will be available to pupils once a week, but only if they order the fish to go with it. Instead of junk food, new menus will include dishes such as home-made lamb curries with naan bread, cauliflower cheese and sweet and sour turkey with side salad and garlic bread. And fresh fruit and yoghurts will always be a choice among the cooked desserts. Mr Wilson said: "The pupils' present diet is far from satisfactory, it's loaded with fat. And they eat out of containers rather than sit down and eat off plates.

"Studies are showing real problems with children's diet and a rise in obesity, and quite rightly, school dinners are in the spotlight."

Mr Wilson arrived at Duffryn 14 months ago and immediately identified the canteen as an area requiring wholesale change.

He said: "The canteen is currently being gutted and will re-open after Easter, having been given a completely new look."

Pupils will choose from a healthy menu, sit down together and eat from plates with knives and forks.

Mr Wilson said: "Modern life doesn't allow families many opportunities to sit down around a table and make each meal a social occasion - I know, I work a 12-hour day at times and have two teenagers and a working wife."

But it's part of our job to teach the students good habits that will last a lifetime - healthy living and eating properly is part of that."

A letter has been sent to parents, and Mr Wilson has only received positive feedback from them so far. But the pupils are a different matter.

"Some of the pupils are moaning, they say 'Sir, why are you banning chips?' but others have told me they think it's a good idea."

June Hislop, of Castle Park Close, Newport, has a child at Duffryn High School and she is impressed by Mr Wilson's drive to improve things for the pupils.

She said: "I give my children sandwiches every day, or other healthy food like fajitas or couscous or soup. They also have yoghurt and fruit.

"I know Duffryn High has ideas on healthy eating, and by Easter there will be a complete menu overhaul where there will be no junk food on offer.

"But until then children are never going to choose the healthy option over chips and pizza, and therein lies the problem.

"Unless there is a 100 per cent healthy menu in school there is no chance of getting kids to eat it. I might consider giving my girl £1.50 or £2 for lunch after Easter, but not before.

"I grew up on a bad diet, and although my kids would probably love to have chips and gravy every day, I'm not letting them."