Leicestershire Healthy Schools

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About Healthy Schools

The National Healthy Schools Programme is a joint Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families (formerly DfES) initiative, which supports the links between health, behaviour and achievement. The Leicestershire Healthy Schools Programme (LHSP) manages the programme at a local level and is a partnership between Leicestershire County Council Children and Young People's Service and the county Primary Care Trust. The programme is about creating healthy and happy children and young people who, as a result, do better in learning and in life.

Its aims are:

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

How does it work?

How does the Leicestershire Healthy Schools Programme Support Schools?

What criteria do schools have to meet to receive National Healthy Schools Status?

What impact does the programme have on schools?

What do participating schools say about the programme?

How can my school join the programme?

How can I find out if my school is already participating?

How does it work?

The programme operates a whole school approach to education and health improvement in schools ensuring that the whole community is involved in the process. Schools are asked to demonstrate standards in the core themes of:

• Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE Education) including sex and relationship education and drug education
• Healthy Eating
• Physical Activity
• Emotional Health and well being (Including bullying)

The school follows a process of audit, needs assessment, target setting and action planning recognising previous achievement, strengths and identifying areas for improvement. It also allows schools to identify their own specific programme of development.

To gain National Healthy School Status schools must demonstrate that they have addressed all these aspects of the four core themes:

• Policy Development
• Curriculum Planning and Resourcing
• School Culture and Environment
• Giving Pupils a Voice
• Provision of support for pupils
• Staff professional development needs, health and welfare
• Partnerships with parents/carers and local community
• Assessing, recording and reporting pupil achievement

How does the Leicestershire Healthy Schools Programme Support Schools?

• By working in partnership through Children's Services to provide training, advice and support to schools
• By supporting schools in considering how the programme can assist children and young people in developing healthy behaviours, raise achievement, reduce health inequalities and promote social inclusion
• By providing quality assurance mechanisms
• By confirming and celebrating national Healthy Schools Status

What criteria do schools have to meet to receive National Healthy Schools Status?

Download national audit tool

What impact does the programme have on schools?

Schools are faced with a wealth of demands, guidance, targets and directives. The NHSP can help make sense of these and provide a framework for a co-ordinated and effective approach to the planning and delivery of PSHE Education and citizenship in schools.

Becoming a healthy school requires the support of the whole school community - pupils, staff, parents, governors, service providers and members of the wider community. Representatives of each group form a task group to coordinate and steer activities. This hopefully ensures that messages delivered in the curriculum are reinforced through opportunities and activities in schools and home.

What do participating schools say about the programme?

"Becoming a healthy school has meant fundamental changes for our school and it has changed the culture and atmosphere for the better. When you walk into the school you immediately pick up on the Healthy Schools ethos and the holistic approach to improving the physical, emotional and social health and well-being of our children. They are now making much better, more informed choices about food, exercise and friendships which is already having an impact on their ability to enjoy a healthy lifestyle."
Beverley Noble, a governor at St Andrew's Primary School, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham

"We have had a lot of support from parents on achieving Healthy Schools Status. The school council has played an important role as well with children having a say in some of the key decisions."
Trish Waddington, a governor and parent at Broxbourne Secondary School in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire

How can my school join the programme?

For an informal chat or to join the programme simply contact the Healthy Schools Team on 01530 278136.

How can I find out if my school is already participating?

Visit the 'Participating Schools' section of this site.

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Healthy Schools Criteria.doc (429kb)

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