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National Healthy School Status - A Guide for Schools

Introduction

The National Healthy Schools Programme is funded by the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health, with a regional and local network implementing the work locally.

The National Healthy Schools Programme aims to;

• To support children and young people in developing healthy behaviours
• To help to raise pupil achievement
• To help to reduce health inequalities
• To help promote social inclusion

The Benefits of Being a ‘Healthy School’

It is self-evident that pupils can fulfil their potential only when they are healthy, happy and at ease in all areas of their lives.
“A healthy school is one that is successful in helping pupils to do their best and build on their achievements. It is committed to ongoing improvement and development. It promotes physical and emotional health by providing accessible and relevant information and equipping pupils with the skills and attitudes to make informed decisions about their health.

A healthy school understands the importance of investing in health to assist in the process of raising levels of pupil achievement and improving standards”.

(DfES National Healthy School Standard Guidance, 1999)

Healthy Schools and Every Child Matters

Healthy school activities are intended to be holistic in the truest sense. They are embraced and emphasised across many curriculum areas and actively supported by every section of the school community. Healthy schools are about working in partnership.

Appropriately this has led to a national review of criteria and requirements for healthy school status. A period of consultation with all healthy school coordinators throughout the country ensued. This resulted in more rigorous and nationally consistent criteria. The criteria complement existing and increasingly mainstreamed efforts to promote four core themes: PSHE, physical activity, healthy eating and emotional health and well-being.

Ofsted will expect schools to demonstrate how they are contributing to the outcomes stipulated by Every Child Matters and gaining National Healthy School Status will provide rigorous evidence of this and will assist schools in evidencing their Self Evaluation Form and completing their new school profile.

The National Healthy School Programme builds on what schools have been doing for several years. The criteria for Healthy School Status complement existing and increasingly mainstreamed efforts to promote PSHE, physical activity healthy eating and emotional health and well-being in the school setting. Schools that are already participating in such work are likely to be consolidating existing good practice rather than starting afresh.

Achieving National Healthy School Status also supports the targets within a number of other national priorities:

• Improving behaviour and attendance (the NHSP is working closely with the Secondary Strategy, Social, Emotional and Behavioural Skills (SEBS) and Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)
• Improving performance in national Standard Attainment Tests
• Reducing and halting the increase in childhood obesity
• Promoting positive sexual health and reducing teenage pregnancy
• Reducing young people’s drug, alcohol and tobacco use

Healthy Schools and School Improvement

A healthy school promotes the health and well-being of its pupils and staff
through a well-planned, taught curriculum in a physical and emotional environment that promotes learning and healthy lifestyle choices. Healthy schools can impact on school improvement. Evidence www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk/evidenceofimpact demonstrates that pupils who are healthy achieve well at school. Some key findings are that ;

• Schools can use the National Healthy School Programme whole school approach to bring about sustained school improvement
• Schools with healthy school status have better results for all Key Stage 1 assessments and Key Stage 2 Science compared with other schools.
• Schools involved in the National Healthy School Programme are more inclusive
• Pupils in healthy schools report a range of positive behaviours such as diminished fear of bullying and a reduced likelihood of using illegal drugs
• PSHE provision is enhanced
• Rhere is more effective liaison between home and school, and school and external support agencies

Future Vision

It is envisaged that in the near future, schools will be asked to self validate and apply for National Healthy School Status. This will be a gradual process and the local Healthy School Team will keep you informed.