Sam MellorHead of NHSP Delivery UnitDepartment of Health

National Healthy Schools Programme

A joint Department of Health and Department for Children,

Schools and Families initiative which promotes a

whole school approach to health.

Healthy Schools

is about happy, healthy and safe children and

young people

Happy healthy children?

Despite being one of the world’s richest countries, our children and young people are not necessarily happy, safe and healthy

Healthy Schools can help improve children’s lives: it addresses many of the things that affect their wellbeing

What is wellbeing?Unicef’s Child Poverty in Perspective report

measures children’s well-being by looking at six things:

• Child poverty compared to others in their country• Health and safety• Relationships with family and friends• Education• Behaviours and risks• Young people’s voice

Healthy School’s vision is healthy and happy children and young people, who do better in learning and in life

Using the Healthy Schools approach, we hope to • To support children and young people in

developing healthy behaviours• To help reduce health inequalities• To help promote social inclusion• To help raise the achievement of children and

young people

National Healthy Schools StatusA Healthy School must meet • 41 minimum criteria across 4 themes• Criteria supports the five ECM outcomes

Four themes for a Healthy School• Physical Activity• Healthy Eating• Emotional Health & Well Being• Personal, Social and Health Education [including sex relationship education and drugs education]

Whole school approach• Central to Healthy Schools

• Model to support change and development by involving children, staff, parents/carers, and governors

• Provides a solid foundation for further improvements

• Ensures that being a Healthy School is not superficial

• Ensures it is part of how the school plans, reviews, behaves and interacts with the whole school community

Healthier lifestyles in children and families

• Healthy Schools contributes to a number of Government’s public health programmes including child health, encouraging physical activity, reducing teenage pregnancy, reducing risky behaviour around drugs, alcohol and smoking

Presented by

Michelle Smith

Encouraging healthier eatingOfsted’s Food in Schools report (Oct. 2007)

looked at progress schools were making with the new food standards, and how they were helping children and their families understand healthy eating

• Visited 27 schools (primary, middle and secondary) across 12 local authorities

• 15 (56%) have National Healthy Schools Status• 23 (85%) are participating in NHSP• Findings will be shared with our Local

Progamme Coordinators as part of our commitment to support schools and units

Ofsted’s findings:• Seven key findings • Found that take-up of school meals has fallen

and that the reasons are complex and diverse• On a positive, found that schools that had the

most impact on encouraging healthy choices when they had built close partnerships with staff, children and their families, plus senior manager commitment

• This is the Healthy Schools approach

Ofsted’s recommendations:• Nine recommendations - all achievable

using the Healthy Schools approach and by working with School Food Trust

Recommendations - schools should, for example: • Ask children what discourages school lunch

take-up and address this, and work with children to develop menus

• Use activities in and beyond curriculum time to reinforce messages about healthier eating, and

• Work closely with families to advise on healthier packed lunches

Consulting with students2.11 Consults children/ young people about food choices throughout the school day using school councils, Healthy school task groups or other representative pupil bodies

• Student voice is key

• Act on what you are told

• Work together

Consulting with parents2.4 Involves children / young people and parents/carers in guiding food policy and practice within the school, enable them to contribute to healthy eating and acts on their feedback

• ‘Promotion, information and encouragement’ – work closely & sensitively

• Act on what you are told• Work together

Healthier eating for lifeHealthy schools approach to healthy eating

works alongside other programmes including School Fruit and Veg Scheme

• This is part of the ‘5-a-Day’ programme to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables eaten by children

• All 4-6 year olds entitled to one free piece of fruit or vegetables each school day

• Children’s sedentary lifestyles are potentially storing up health problems for their adult life

• Govt. PSA target on child health aims to help children develop healthier lifestyles

• Two key themes Healthy Eating and Physical Activity

Calories in calories outNutrition (calories in)

Energy dense foods

Changing food marketing

Less food prepared in the home

Poor eating patterns

Larger portion sizes

Less breastfeeding

Physical activity (calories out)

Convenient lifestyles

Rise in sedentary pastimes

Less unsupervised outdoor play

More car journeys, especially to and from school

Evidence from Healthy Schools In a recent evaluation of a local Healthy

Schools programme, they have seen an increase of positive behaviour towards healthy eating choices

87% of their schools felt they had witnessed healthier eating and drinking habits in pupils

A Healthy School can change behaviour

Example from Ofsted report

In five of the primary schools, where the curriculum was particularly good, improvements had been driven by work conducted in relation to the National Healthy Schools Programme …[..].. Good links were made across subjects …. Use of common terminology ….pupils understood how work in one subject on healthy eating related to work in another

Next steps on healthy eating• Mapped national initiatives and resources against

our Healthy Eating criteria – available soon• Healthy Eating guidance is being written and will

be available in January 2008 • Guidance will take in account Ofsted’s

recommendations• We are listening to children and young people, at

central and local levels• We will continue to work with School Food

Trust and other agencies

Thank you

Healthy SchoolsWe support delivery of key education policies/programmes:

• Every Child Matters (supports five outcomes)• School Improvement• Social and Emotional Aspects to Learning (SEAL)• Extended Schools• Sustainable Schools• Ofsted• Local Area Agreements• Single Plan Annex

Improving children’s lives• DH commissioned 3-year study, tracking schools that have recently joined

the National Healthy Schools Programme

Schools tell us about Healthy Schools in practice:

• Whole School Approach can bring about sustained school improvement• More effective liaison between home and school, and external agencies• Schools involved improve faster in terms of achievement in national tests

and healthy lifestyles than other schools• Students in Healthy Schools report a range of positive behaviours e.g.

diminished fear of bullying to reduced likelihood of using drugs

Recent developments• 2007 launched website, National Audit and self-validation• Seven authorities granted Beacon status for excellence and

innovation in delivering Healthy Schools • Strong local partnerships in action across England• Investigating shape of Healthy Schools Plus• Exploring extending Healthy Schools approach into Further

Education• Increasingly schools and authorities are mainstreaming

Healthy Schools

Our 2009 targetsNational targets

• By 2009, 75% schools in England will have achieved National Healthy School Status

• By 2009, 100% schools in England will be engaged and participating in the programme

How are we doing? (Sept. 2007)

• 49% schools in England are Healthy Schools

• 91% schools in England are participating in the programme

If you’re one of the few schools not involved,

Go on, do it today!

Thank you

W: healthyschools.gov.uk