Healthy Schools Awards
The Healthy Schools Scheme provides a broad framework for schools to be able to audit their health related provision and identify strengths and areas for development and to share good practice. ‘Hints and Tips’ to aid completion, are regularly updated to reflect national requirements on schools, whilst being based on good practice.
In order to recognise schools’ preference for different levels of engagement with the Healthy Schools Scheme, rather than an ‘all or nothing’ accreditation process, ‘Basic’ Bronze level; ‘Developing’ Silver level and ‘Enhanced Gold’ level are available to suit schools’ needs.
An annual celebration event brings schools together to celebrate their successes linked to accreditation and more broadly to share some of the outstanding work happening in schools in support of the Healthy Schools related agenda. Schools can apply for Good Practice Awards for aspects of their work, nominate for Partnership Awards and Mover and Shaker awards. See below. Application forms and further guidance for all awards listed below can be found in the resources section.
The foundation to Healthy Schools work starts with the bronze level. All schools complete the Whole School Review Audit using the Hints and Tips Guide in order to recognise areas of strength and areas for development linked to health and wellbeing in the whole school community.
The National Document, Promoting children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing A whole school and college approach PHE 2015, outlines eight principles to promote emotional health and wellbeing in schools and colleges; these mirror the criteria in the Healthy Schools Scheme’s Whole School Review audit tool. Therefore, schools achieving, or working towards achieving RHSS accreditation at basic Bronze level, are working to promote the emotional health and wellbeing of pupils.
Developing targeted aspects of school provision as identified in the Bronze Level Audit. A focus is chosen by school, base line measures are taken, plan of activity is developed and implemented and finally impact measures taken to compare to base line measures. This provides a brief case study for school in support of their actions. E.g. to improve attendance; to demonstrate the impact of PE and Sport funding; to develop the PSHE curriculum to meet pupils’ needs etc.
Sharing good practice e.g. from the Silver Level activity or from an in-house developed PSHCE related scheme of work or resource, enhancing work in other school(s) by actively supporting them to develop this work and measure the successful impact.
Celebration Event Award Applications
The aim is to apply for these throughout the year to celebrate small steps and contributions everyone is making towards being a Healthy Schools e.g. for a Healthy Tuck shop, school council elections, environmental developments, staff wellbeing activity, school meal taster session, providing staff/parents/carers with supporting agency contact info e.g. on notice boards/website (weight management services, domestic abuse, stop smoking, alcohol support etc). By the Healthy School Coordinator presenting these in school assemblies it raises awareness of the Healthy Schools related work.
Any person, not employed by the school, and not paid for the work they do, who has made a significant contribution to your Healthy Schools work. This could be someone who has made a significant input into the PSHE or Citizenship curriculum or who has supported school to develop an area of work which is going particularly well e.g. school council, work with parents, work on sustainability, work to increase physical activity, information and advice sessions, playground developments, healthy eating, anti- bullying initiatives.
This award aims to allow the Healthy Schools Coordinator to recognise the efforts of a colleague in school who has gone above and beyond their paid role to support Healthy Schools related work.
