Healthy Schools Programme

Our Healthy School Programmes, based on CYPS and health partnerships, provide support and guidance to schools on becoming healthier places for staff and pupils to work and learn.

How do our Healthy Schools programmes make a difference?

In contributing to a whole school approach we aim to:

• assist schools and the Children and Young People’s Service in raising pupil achievement
• contribute to health improvement for the whole school community
• ensure there is an appropriate curriculum for PSHE and Citizenship in all Lambeth schools (including nurseries, special schools and PRUs).

A school can become accredited as a Healthy School by meeting various criteria in relation to the four core themes of:

1. Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), (which includes sex and relationships education and drug education
2. Healthy Eating,
3. Physical Activity and
4. Emotional Health and Well being

How does the Healthy Schools team work with schools?

Your local team will support you to:

• audit existing practice in PSHE and Citizenship
• develop an action plan to address weaker elements
• assess the impact of the activities through monitoring and evaluation, with a particular focus on pupils' learning outcomes.

Assisting a school’s audit could include:

• guidance on leadership of PSHE and on managing change
• staff professional development
• school culture
• policy
• pupil, parent/carer and local community involvement
• curriculum planning
• support for and delivery of INSET and training in PSHE related areas e.g. Circle Time and the social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL)
• teaching and learning
• working with external agencies in a range of contexts such as personal, social health and economic education and citizenship.

These activities ensure that work is grounded in supportive whole school practice and therefore more likely to have a greater impact on pupils' health, learning opportunities, experience and achievements.

Advanced Healthy School Standard (AHSS).

Schools that have already gained Healthy School status can now work towards gaining AHSS.

This is an exciting new joint initiative between Lambeth Children and Young People’s Service and public health. The service provides expert, specialist support to schools that have already achieved the National Healthy Schools Standard, to extend and sustain the good work they are already doing in PSHE. Schools that fulfil the Advanced Healthy Schools criteria will be awarded Advanced Healthy Schools Accreditation.

What is involved?

AHSS focuses on initiating improvements in PSHE in line with national government guidance and local need. The service provides expert, specialist support to schools that have already achieved the National Healthy Schools Standard, to extend and sustain the good work they are already doing in personal, social, health education with a specific focus on the following priorities in:

• sex and relationship education
• drug education
• emotional health and wellbeing.

What are the benefits to schools?

• Supports Children Act 2005 outcomes for all children.
• Demonstrates schools’ effectiveness in PSHE.
• Helps schools complete the self evaluation form.
• Helps schools achieve excellence ratings in Ofsted inspections for personal wellbeing criteria.
• Improves behaviour and attendance.
• Supports academic success.
• Meets new NC requirements to be launched in 2008 which strengthen the role of PSHE.
• Secondary schools receive a grant of £1000.
• Primary schools receive a grant of £500.

Schools that fulfil the Advanced Healthy Schools criteria will be awarded Advanced Healthy Schools Accreditation.

In addition to helping to improve children and young peoples’ chances of reaching their full potential through developing healthy behaviours and bringing about sustained improvement in behaviour, standards of work and school management, secondary schools who undertake the advanced accreditation will qualify for a grant of £1000 towards funding PSHE initiatives and primary schools will receive £500.

Resources

Read a summary of primary age pupil behaviours relating to their PSHE and Citizenship skills in 2006.

You can find out about school meals and Lambeth's food and health policy on the school meals pages.

Visit the Healthy schools website about the national Healthy Schools Programme.

See the new secondary curriculum for PSHE.

Contact information

Please contact our Healthy Schools Teaching and Learning Consultants for further information.

Katie Tilley
Lambeth Healthy Schools
Tel: 020 7926 1816

Arabella Yapp
Advanced Healthy Schools 
Tel: 020 7926 1816

Both Katie and Arabella are based at:
10th Floor Blue Star House
234-244 Stockwell Road
Brixton
SW9 9SP

You can also contact Judith Hare, School Improvement Adviser Team Leader at:

6th Floor International House
Canterbury Crescent,
SW4 7QE