Healthy Schools...Ten Years On

This year the National Healthy Schools Programme is celebrating its tenth anniversary year, having established itself as one of the country’s most widely embraced non-statutory government initiatives in schools today. Jointly supported by the Department of Health (DH) and Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), Healthy Schools is equipping children and young people with the skills to make informed health and life choices and ultimately, to do better in learning and in life.

Delivered through a network of 150 Local Programmes grounded in local health and education partnerships, Healthy Schools has generated widespread popularity and success locally, offering guidance and close support for primary care trusts, local authorities and their schools on a broad range of issues affecting the health and wellbeing of children and young people: from childhood obesity, healthy eating and being active, to teenage pregnancy, substance misuse and bullying.

Dr Will Cavendish, Director of Health and Wellbeing at Department of Health, comments, “Schools have come a long way over the past ten years, and Healthy Schools has played an important role in the changes that have taken place in our schools around sport, healthy eating and physical activity”.

“The fact that schools are so enthusiastic about this programme is because its ethos sits very much at ease with the reason why teachers, headteachers, nurses, and the broader school workforce do what they do” Dr Cavendish adds. “Ten years ago, school policy was rightly focused around academic standards alone. However, as standards have risen, that’s being broadened out to include a stronger concern for children and young people’s broader health and wellbeing. I think Healthy Schools has been an important part of that commitment to nurturing and developing the broader child.

“This approach isn’t about giving up on high educational standards, because this remains absolutely central, but it recognises that a child who is healthy will perform better in school, and a child who feels they’re achieving will be less likely to get involved in risky or harmful behaviour.”

The promotion of close partnership working has also been an important contributor to the widespread success of Healthy Schools at a local level, as Hugh Annett, Joint Director of Public Health for Bristol City Council and Bristol Primary Care Trust, explains; “For me, one of the real strengths of Healthy Schools is that it recognises that health and education go hand-in-hand; it has encouraged a greater pooling of resources and expertise locally between educational and healthcare professionals, which I see as absolutely vital if we are to effectively support every child in reaching their full potential.

“Plus from a public health perspective, I believe Healthy Schools has been really critical in helping to shape and form the opinions of young people around many important public health issues like smoking or alcohol. Where better to do this than in schools?”

In order to gain National Healthy School Status, schools are asked to meet a minimum of 41 outlined criteria, which directly supports Every Child Matters and lays the foundations for strong emotional and physical health across a wide range of schools activities to ensure a healthy ethos runs through every part of school life. And, with 97% of schools nationally now involved in the programme, it’s estimated to already be achieving improved health and wellbeing outcomes for more than 7 million children and young people.

Margaret Eva, headteacher at a Healthy School in West Sussex comments, “The National Healthy Schools Programme has played a major part in our dramatic turn around, through the ‘whole school’ approach which it promotes. Our students now have a greater sense of self-belief and are healthier, happier and more confident because they are in a more supportive school environment. Staff morale has rocketed, exclusions are now few and far between and student aspirations have soared.”

Across the country many local authorities and PCTs are also using the Programme to help achieve key Government targets related to children and young people within the new National Indicator sets and the Children’s National Service Framework (NSF) within the school setting.

Oldknow Primary School in central Birmingham is one such example.  They are helping to reduce childhood obesity and the Healthy Schools framework is being used to shape a number of initiatives in schools. Richard Sangster, Head of Healthy Schools Programme, recounts of his recent visit to the school; “Every one of the fantastic display boards had information and promotion of healthier behaviours. No sweets and fizzy drinks here, the children all had water bottles given to them by the school to drink throughout the day, healthy school menus were tasty looking and nutritional guidance for packed lunches was available for parents. There was a healthy education lesson each week and cooking clubs after school.” 

“But what struck me most was the commitment and enthusiasm from all the staff I met and how they took every opportunity to weave health and wellbeing into the everyday activity of the school, from play to sport to learning even to the onsite school farm!  This drive was also matched by the zeal of the pupil council who had their own budget and office to ensure that health is always top of the school’s agenda. Their current project was getting a bike shed and rack so more of the children could ride to school.”

With the Government on target to achieve its goal for 75% of schools to have achieved National Healthy School Status by December 2009, the contribution of Healthy Schools to children’s wider development is undoubtedly a crucial stepping stone for the future.

Helen Williams, Director Curriculum and Pupil Wellbeing at Department for Children, Schools and Families, comments; “As the government has begun to place an increasing emphasis on the health and wellbeing of children and young people, I think Healthy Schools to really come into its own. It’s offered an invaluable framework of standards, good practice and tools to help schools evaluate what they are doing, and its true legacy is that the overall offering in our schools has been vastly improved.”

“Moving on from here, I really see Healthy Schools as part of our evolving vision for the 21st Century School, as outlined in our Children’s Plan” she continues. “The next stage is to make good schools into really great schools, by engaging more closely with parents, personalising children’s learning, opening up school services to the wider community and increasing capacity through greater collaboration.”

“Our vision of a 21st century school will still be about education in the traditional sense, but more than that, it will focus on developing the whole child, and will offer a more rounded approach to educational which covers things like enhancing a child’s self esteem, confidence, emotional resilience in life, and their ability to work with others. Healthy Schools has laid many important foundations to make this vision a reality, and I believe it will continue to make a vital contribution to make as we move forwards in our ambitious goal for making Britain the best place in the world to grow up.”

For more information about the National Healthy Schools Programme please visit: www.healthyschools.gov.uk

CASE STUDY 1:

Judo Enthusiasts spearhead Healthy Living

With obesity and physical activity high on the national agenda, schools are being challenged to find new ways of broadening access to a range of physical activities. One school in Gloucester has recently introduced the Japanese martial art of judo into school, to encourage wider participation amongst students. With a strong ethical code and an emphasis on inclusion, it is proving an ideal way of boosting emotional wellbeing as well as physical fitness, and developing citizenships skills.

Field Court Junior School in Quedgeley, Gloucester, has been running extra-curricular judo classes since last September. Kelly Armstrong, Headteacher explains; “Initially, I invited a professional judo coach to come along and do a demonstration in assembly and then, after sending letters out to parents, we started regular sessions after school.”

As well as improving fitness, judo enhances confidence, respect and discipline – all vital components for helping children and young people develop skills which will help them to do better in learning and in life. As a Healthy School, we already use the National Healthy Schools Programme as a framework for promoting physical and emotional wellbeing, and I think judo is a great example of how schools can use this model to creatively broaden the appeal of physical activity beyond traditional team sports at school.”

The physical benefits of judo are wide-ranging. It’s a sport which improves flexibility, balance and posture, co-ordination and reflexes. It is also a great cardiovascular workout, building aerobic capacity and stamina, and contributing to overall health and wellbeing. The primary focuses are throwing and groundwork, and participants are taught to fall safely, with an emphasis on mastering several methods of breaking their fall.

Because it’s a sport which allows children and young people to actively compete with players of similar ability, even students who lack confidence when participating in traditional PE and sports activities, or who don’t see themselves as sporty, can often enjoy judo.  

“Judo isn’t a mainstream sport in schools, in the way football or netball is,” continues Mrs Armstrong. “It’s an activity which requires skill rather than just size or strength, and we’re seeing a completely different set of youngsters taking part. It’s been very popular with girls, and it’s also been particularly good for pupils with special needs such as autism because the routine and discipline really suits them and they enjoy the pattern of getting into their judo kit and taking their positions. We also have one student with cystic fibrosis who gets a lot from the sessions.

“Some people may believe judo is about fighting, but it’s actually about gentle conflict resolution. Judo teaches discipline and self-control and provides an opportunity to release excess energy in a controlled environment. It has a strict code of conduct which can improve concentration and behaviour.

Staff at the school also believe that the sessions are helping instill core values about mutual respect, fair play and consideration for others. Mrs Armstrong adds, “Traditionally judo isn’t a sport where participants aim to win at all costs, and it’s accepted that simply taking part genuinely builds character and self confidence. Opponents learn to be gracious in defeat and there will be a handshake and bow at the end of every contest.”

“We always follow the traditional rules to avoid injuries and ensure proper etiquette. Our judo coach is someone children and young people can really look up to and respect, and he makes it very clear that combat outside the training hall is unacceptable and anyone who ‘misuses’ the techniques they learn will be asked to leave the group.”

Mrs Armstrong concludes, “As a form of self-defence, judo is also helping students, especially the girls, to feel safer and happier.  All in all, learning a martial art has gone down brilliantly with the 7 to 11 age group, and we’re now looking to extend the classes to the younger children at Field Court Infant School as well.”

Case Study: Parent Power opens up Field of Opportunities

Little Dewchurch CE Primary School, Hereford 

Parents at Little Dewchurch CE Primary School in Hereford have taken a very hands-on approach to supporting physical activity throughout the school day, by helping to plan and build a new, high-quality P.E. facility for the school, which has completely revolutionised the school’s sports provision!

Using the framework provided by the National Healthy Schools Programme as a backdrop for encouraging children to get more active at school, the school has recently leased a new field from the Duchy of Cornwall, and developed it into an impressive new facility which the whole the school community has helped to plan and create - including children, staff and parents.

Promoting close consultation and dialogue with parents is an integral part of the Healthy Schools ethos, and at Little Dewchurch, this close partnership with parents has proven to be a real driving force for the creation of a safe, accessible play space for the school’s children and young people.

Headteacher Sue Sumner says, “Little Dewchurch is a very small school, with just 47 children currently on roll, but our parents have taken a very hands on approach and got involved in making the land habitable and in creating our new high-quality changing facilities. Not only did they source a lottery grant of £10,000 to help fund it, but they raised a further £3,000 doing a trolley dash at a local supermarket.”

The parents also worked as a team to order new huts with pitched roofs to use as changing rooms and actually constructed them, even through some quite poor weather. A core group of parents also gave up their weekends and utilised their individual skills. For instance, some of the dads spearheaded the building work: some helped out with walls and roofs, and others came with a digger to lay the foundations.

Mrs Sumner adds, “I think the parents at our school have really felt empowered and demonstrate how the whole school community genuinely has a ‘voice’ and can play a vital part in making some dramatic changes to the school environment. Seeing the children’s faces when I first got the keys and unlocked the gates was certainly very rewarding for us all; they all raced over and couldn’t believe the renewed space and freedom.”

“As part of being a Healthy School, we want to encourage physical activity as an integral part of an active lifestyle, helping our children to remain happy, healthy and ready to learn. Getting them outside in the fresh air, rather than being confined to the school hall, has really had a remarkable impact and has helped make that vision possible.

“Since building our new facilities, we’ve also been able to extend our range of sports provision, even linking up with a tag rugby coach from the local Hereford Academy, the school we officially feed to. The school now holds a weekly football club, which we couldn’t have done before, and we regularly host friendly matches with other schools.

“In the past, we wasted a lot of time travelling to and from sports venues, but having these facilities on our doorstep means that now the actual sports sessions are longer, and we can make the most of any good weather!”

The facilities have also had a big impact on school Sports Days. Previously the cost and logistics of transporting everyone to another school was proving ineffective, but last Autumn Little Dewchurch held its first ‘mini Olympics’ which was linked to the 2008 Games in Beijing.

The children were able to try out (foam) javelin throwing and various track races on home turf for the first time, alongside their own prize-giving ceremony. The school’s Olympics were also tied into other classroom learning, such as links them with a topic on Ancient Greece.

Mrs Sumner concludes, “To me, it’s very evident that it’s not only the children’s physical health but also their emotional wellbeing that has benefited. Moreover, it has also has a positive impact amongst their whole families. At a time when people lead such busy lives, it’s been absolutely great to see our parents so committed to taking the time out to get actively involved in promoting healthier living, and it’s taught the children a lot about the difference that teamwork and co-operation can make. This, in turn, has been a great lesson in terms of building their own motivation, self-confidence, community mindedness and work ethic.

“All in all, the new school field and changing facilities have had a massive impact and are really helping us to move forward as a Healthy School which actively embraces physical activity and promotes positive behaviour patterns for later life.”

For more information about the National Healthy Schools Programme, please visit www.healthyschools.gov.uk