National context and priorities
Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (formerly Public Health England): school age and young people context
The programme works with the following Public Health England priorities for school age children and young people:
- promote and share locally the evidence base to support sustainable services to deliver the healthy child programme and early intervention to enable families and communities to give all children the best start in life
- build resilience and positive mental health, maintaining downward trends in poor health outcomes from use of alcohol, substance misuse, unsafe sexual health and teenage pregnancy
- support an increase in local physical activity by promoting tools, new initiatives and the latest evidence, particularly on sedentary behaviour and its impact
- develop evidence-based tools for schools and educational settings to support pupils’ mental wellbeing.
See the Healthy Lives, Healthy People, The Public Health White Paper, 2010.
Healthy child programme
The healthy child programme says that schools have an important role to play in promoting healthy lifestyles and providing extra support to at-risk children.
This is underpinned by schools’ statutory duty to:
- promote the wellbeing of their pupils
- provide healthy school food
- provide PE
- provide personal, social, and health and economic (PSHE) education (subject to consultation).
The programme recommends that all schools are working towards health and wellbeing outcomes through the enhancement model.
Ofsted
Ofsted say all schools should:
- involve pupils and parents more closely in promoting healthier lifestyles
- set clear learning objectives for PSHE and assess the extent to which they have been met
- develop strategies to maintain pupils’ mental health through the National Healthy School Standard (NHSS) or the PSHE curriculum
- be able to demonstrate how they are implementing a school food plan.
See Ofsted (2006) Healthy schools, healthy children: the contribution of education to pupils’ health and wellbeing.
What next
For a no obligation meeting to get the A Better Medway Schools Award programme in your school, call us on 01634 334 307 or email childhealth@medway.gov.uk.
Find out how to take part.
If you're ready to start, complete our online form: