Healthy Schools

Joan Murphy

Healthy Settings Coordinator Schools

Health Promotion Agency

?Where did the concept of healthy

schools come from?

Healthy Schools Concept

• Basis of Healthy schools is the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (WHO1986)– Building healthy public policy– Creating supportive environments– Strengthen community action– Developing personal skills– Reorienting health services

Shift in dominant paradigms

The traditional health education approach

The health promoting school approach

Principles of a Health Promoting Schools• ENHPS Conference Greece 1997 identified 10 principles:

1. Democracy, 2. Equity, 3. Empowerment and action competence, 4. School environment, 5. Curriculum, 6. Teacher training, 7. Measuring success, 8. Collaboration, 9. Communities, 10. Sustainability

Based on a Settings Approach

What is a healthy school?

A healthy school is…• ..one in which the whole school community (WSC) work

together in a planned one to promote the health of the WSC by developing policies practices and structures that underpin a sustainable program of action.. (HPA 2006)

• Adopts a process of self evaluation and action planning against a set of internationally recognised quality criteria

• Criteria aims to increase school health and wellbeing in 3 key elements of work (ethos and environment, quality of learning and teaching quality of management)

• It involves a process

Criteria for Healthy Schools in N.I

1. provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment which encourages pupils to be health and safety conscious both in and out of school.

2. actively promote pupils’ self esteem and self confidence through the provision of opportunities to contribute widely to the life of the school, successfully enabling pupils to take initiatives, make choices and exercise responsibility for their own health and that of others.

3. create a climate in which good relationships, respect and consideration for others flourish, encouraging individuals to make a valuable contribution through their respective skills and personal qualities.

4. formulate, implement and review regularly a range of health related policies for staff and pupils which are in accord with the school aims.

Criteria cont’d

5. plan and implement a coherent health curriculum which complies with requirements and is accessible to all pupils.

6. provide stimulating challenges for all pupils through a wide range of physical, academic, social and community activities.

7. develop good liaison with parents/guardians, other schools and the local community on a range of health related initiatives

8. make effective use of appropriate outside agencies and specialist services to advise, support and contribute to the promotion of health, directly or through the curriculum

Healthy Schools in Northern Ireland

• Strategic context• Investing for Health 2002• Fit Futures Report 2005• Our Children and Young People-Our Pledge (A ten year strategy for

children and young people in Northern Ireland 2006-2016)• School Development Plan

Investing for Health

• Chapter 15 Working in Settings• Schools and colleges• Health Education identified as one of six cross curricular themes for

schools• Benefits to be gained from promoting schools as a setting to

improve health and well-being for whole school community

Fit Futures Report• Six priorities for action identified; in particular• Creating Healthy schools and Supporting Healthy Early Years• Recommends that:• Schools need to reflect what is taught in the classroom through their

ethos and environment (e.g school meals, vending machines, tuck shops ?conflicting messages)

• Need for whole school approach• Establish a healthy school partnership-all schools healthy 2015.• Integrate health improvement planning into school development

process• Schools supported in this process through training and guidance

Our Children and Young People-Our Pledge (A ten year strategy for children and young people

in Northern Ireland 2006-2016)

• Five high level Outcomes• Being Healthy• Enjoying, learning and achieving• Living in Safety and stability• Experiencing economic and environmental well-being• Contributing positively to community and society; and overarching

aim:• Living in a society which respects their rights• Outcomes link to criteria for healthy schools

School Development Planning

• The Department of Education made regulations in 2005 which require each school to prepare and maintain a school development plan. The regulations included a requirement that the arrangements for promoting the health and wellbeing of staff and pupils must be assessed as part of the school development plan.

• In particular: the contribution made by the school to promoting healthy lifestyles, including health education initiatives, physical education, school meals and links with statutory and voluntary sectors

History of Healthy Schools in Northern Ireland (N.I)

• Schools in N.I have long history of involvement

• All funding for healthy schools has been in association with

HELG (health education liaison group)

• Opportunity in early 1990’s presented with ENHPS (funding

secured DE, DHSSPS and Europe)

• UK wide involvement.

Results of Evaluation

• 77% found the tool excellent or good, clear layout comprehensive familiar format

Has made a significant contribution to:

• The whole school approach, involving parents, staff and the wider community

• Congruence with self evaluation, and school improvement education policy

• Promoting empowerment and participation• Promoting competency in knowledge, skills, attitudes and

practice

Impact on school policy

• 59% had developed new policies

• 45% had modified existing policies

• 69% planned to modify or develop policies in the

next academic year

School actions

Increase in:

• Sexual health (14%)• Initiatives to promote better communication

(19%)• Healthy eating (17%)• 72% were encouraged to participate in other

initiatives not previously considered

Impacts-positive• Knowledge of pupils 95%• Attitudes of pupils 94%• 91% knowledge of staff• 92% attitudes of staff• An increase in staff morale and team building, a sense of

common purpose• Broadly based school teams built a sense of community in the

and out of school• Stronger relationships within and out of school• Positive recognition, favourable inspection, positive community

reputation• Coherent framework for health in the school

Impacts-negative• Increased demands on time• Lack of resources, responsibility allowance• Lack of parental support

Recommendations• Mainstreaming• Co-ordination of effort• Capacity building/initial teacher training/health and other

professions• Toolkit dissemination• Development of other resources• Strategic partnerships/accountability/planning• Systems to share learning

Links between Healthy Schools and Extended Schools

• Both involve a whole school approach• It involves a process of self evaluation and assessment• Recognises the school as a key setting ‘hub’ for health promotion and

attainment• 5 high level outcomes of an extended school can be addressed

through the 8 criteria that form the benchmark of a healthy school • Extended schools can provide the financial resources to support

healthy schools e.g after school clubs, breakfast clubs, ‘Cook it’ training courses for parents and wider school community

• Seeks to improve health and well being of the whole school community• Both seek to increase knowledge and skills development for pupils

staff and wider school community• Both integrate health improvement planning into school development

process• Schools are supported in this process through training and guidance

When health is absent

Wisdom cannot reveal itself,

Art cannot become manifest

Strength cannot fight,

Wealth becomes useless

And intelligence cannot be applied.

Herophilus, 325 BC