About the award levels

There are 4 award levels:

Bronze award

The bronze award focuses on getting the basics right. To achieve the bronze award you'll need to meet the following criteria:

have a healthy early years policy in place (a pro forma policy can be sent out on request)
a completed food and drink audit. 3 variations of the audit are available for snack only snack and lunchboxes and full day care settings
submit example menus meeting the Early Years Foundation Stage nutrition guidance
submit evidence of reflective practice. You'll need to include:
- how the changes went
- the impact of these changes
- showing reflective practice on your eating environment
- how you support fussy eaters
- how you promote oral health with children, families and staff
- how you have a whole setting approach to the HEY awards.

To achieve the silver award you must have achieved your bronze HEY awards within the last 3 years. You'll need to submit evidence showing:

you have revisited and updated your HEY policy
a completed self audit to show how you met the physical activity guidelines of 180 active minutes a day for 1 to 5 year olds or the appropriate guidance for your age group
you have considered the equity of your eating environment as well as how you ensure all children regardless of special educational need, disability, medical need or dietary restrictions have opportunities to be independent at meal times or with food based activities
evidence of reflective practice. You'll need to include:
- what you planned to change
- how the changes went
- the impact of these changes
- showing reflective practice on your physical activity provision
- how you support families to remain active when they're children are not in your setting
- the seasonality of your menus
- the equity of your eating environment.

To achieve the gold award you must have achieved your bronze and silver award (silver within the last 3 years), as well as:

document your HEY journey so far, including revisiting and updating your HEY policy
consider how you promote oral health with children, families and staff
consider how you approach sustainability and climate change with staff, families and children
consider how you minimise your settings impact on the climate
show evidence of reflective practice. You'll need to include:
- how you reflected on your physical activity provision
- how you promote active travel with your families
- how you promote oral health
- your work around climate change and sustainability
- how you ensure parental involvement with your work promoting a healthy lifestyle.

To achieve the platinum award you'll need to have achieved your bronze, silver and gold awards (gold within the last 3 years), as well as:

revisit and refine your HEY policy
show your settings commitment to promoting and improving emotional wellbeing of families, children and staff
show evidence of reflective practice, including the impact of training staff have participated in
show research completed around emotional wellbeing
make 6 pledges based on improving the wellbeing. 2 pledges focused on the wellbeing children, parents and staff, including management team. You'll need to:
- choose specific pledges
- detail why you chose those pledges
- explain what you planned
- explain what happened
- share the impact of the specific changes.