Healthy schools

The National Healthy Schools Programme is jointly funded by the Department of Health (DH) and the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). It is an exciting long-term initiative that promotes the link between good health, behaviour and achievement. It's about creating healthy and happy children and young people, who do better in learning and in life.

Offering close support and guidance to Primary Care Trusts, local authorities and their schools, the Programme equips children and young people with the skills and knowledge to make informed health and life choices and to reach their full potential.

More than 97% of schools nationally are now involved in the Programme and over 70% of schools have achieved National Healthy School Status. This translates to around 4 million children and young people currently enjoying the benefits of attending a Healthy School.

Children and young people in Healthy Schools say that they feel healthier, happier and safer. Their parents say that they feel more involved in their child's health and learning and often feel better themselves. Schools say that the National Healthy Schools Programme has brought sustained improvement in behaviour, standards of work and school management.

The impact of the Programme is based on a whole-school approach to physical and emotional well-being focused on four core themes:

Personal, Social and Health Education
Healthy Eating
Physical Activity
Emotional Health and Wellbeing

The whole school approach involves working with children and young people, parents, school staff and the whole school community to provide a solid foundation from which developments and improvement are embedded in a systematic way.

To find out more about more about the National Healthy Schools Programme, please visit the Healthy Schools website.

This page was last updated on 05 January 2009