"The Healthy Schools Programme is 10 years old this year. There are
countless examples of creativity and innovation from schools in supporting
the health and wellbeing of their pupils – and I have every
confidence that Healthy Schools will continue to provide vital support to
schools as we move forwards, building towards our ambition for the 21st
Century School." - Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools
and Families
The programme recognises that a child who is healthy is likely to attain
more in school, and a child who feels that they’re achieving is less
likely to get involved in risky or harmful behaviour.
The key to the effectiveness of Healthy Schools has been partnership
working at local level between health, education, other government
programmes and voluntary bodies to deliver support and inspiration to
schools.
Typical examples of improvements made in schools include school food,
increased quality and quantity of physical activity, anti-bullying work and
improvements to quality of Personal, Social Health and Economic Education
(PSHEE).
99% of London schools are involved in the National Healthy Schools
Programme, and children - in 81% of our London schools – are already
enjoying the benefits of attending a Healthy School.This fantastic
achievement to exceed the Government’s challenging goal for 75% of
schools to have achieved status by December 2009 is down to the commitment,
enthusiasm and vision of many headteachers, teachers and the wider school
workforce throughout London.
Plans for extending the programme are already underway with the launch of
the Healthy Schools Enhancement Model.
The health and wellbeing agenda in schools is still growing. Statutory
PSHEE, the enhanced place of wellbeing in OFSTED inspections and the
Healthy Child Programme reinforce the importance of the demands of
integrated working between health and education in the future.
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