Healthy schools
Children do better at school if they are happy, healthy and safe.
The Healthy Schools Programme supports schools to recognise and celebrate achievements in whole-school health improvement. It is a simple way to collate evidence that will be useful for Ofsted inspection judgement areas.
The programme brings together the:
- School Health Check
- My Health, My School survey
- PSHE offer from the School Health Service
It builds on previous evidence-based local approaches. The programme has the support of East Sussex Public Health and the School Health Service.
School Health Check
The School Health Check is an online tool for schools to self-evaluate.
Use it to:
- guide and measure improvements
- work towards Healthy School Status
The school health check covers four core themes:
- healthy eating
- physical activity
- emotional health and wellbeing
- PSHE
Each theme links to 10 strands identified in the whole school approach. Use the tool to highlight areas of strength or in need of development (aligned to Ofsted descriptors). The tool puts these next steps into an online action plan.
Health improvement specialists from the School Health Service can support you. They offer advice, guidance and signposting to high quality resources.
Register for the School Health Check
- Go to Healthy Schools and click ‘Register’.
- In ‘County’ drop-down list select ‘East Sussex’ and then choose your school.
- Complete your school’s details. In ‘billing details’, enter ‘East Sussex County Council’ in every box.
- Click ‘Create an account’.
You will receive email to confirm and provide access to your account.
Now you can complete a school health check self-assessment.
PSHE offer from the School Health Service
The School Health Service are a team of public health practitioners, led by school nurses. We work with children, young people and families. Pupils do not have to be in school to use this service.
We also work and consult with schools. Some areas of the statutory curriculum may be more challenging to deliver than others, such as:
- Relationships education
- Relationships and sex education
- Health education
We have developed an initial programme of PSHE support for schools. This includes:
- Termly webinar workshops to increase confidence on specific topics.
- Pupil sessions, like live puberty question and answer sessions with the school nurse and health promotion events in secondary schools.
This complements the work of the work of the East Sussex PSHE Hubs.
Contact the School Health Service
For more information:
Email: kchft.schoolhealthplan@nhs.net
Use the: School Health Service referral form
Phone: 0300 1234 062
There are two awards you can work towards. Both show your school’s commitment to supporting the health and wellbeing of children, staff and families.
Self-validated Healthy Schools status
You achieve Self-validated Healthy School Status and receive a certificate valid for three years when:
- your self-evaluation is ‘good’ or ‘outstanding' for most criteria
- you pass a light-touch assurance process
East Sussex Healthy Schools Excellence Award
Achieve an ‘enhanced’ Healthy Schools status and the Excellence Award when you go on to:
- have an external validation visit
- submit a case study
Healthy Schools Grants
There are grants of up to £5,000 to help schools to achieve Healthy School status or the Healthy Schools Excellence Award.
All state-funded schools in the county can apply for a grant to help complete the School Health Check or aspects of their Healthy Schools Action Plan.
Apply for a Healthy Schools Grant
Your school will need to a complete a simple application form and submit a bid. Your bid must be for sustainable, evidence-based activities, for example:
- Supply cover to release a member of staff to complete the School Health Check.
- Improvement of an outdoor area to increase pupils' levels of physical activity, such as a running track or trim trail.
- Resources for social, emotional and mental health support, like equipping a nurture room.
- Staff training from a suitable provider on how to teach cooking or food education.
- Buying a PSHE scheme of work.
Contact the Healthy Schools Team
To discuss your proposals or arrange an action planning meeting, contact the School Health Service:
The My Health My School survey is a pupil perception survey of health and wellbeing. It is free for all schools in East Sussex. It gathers children and young people’s views, behaviours and choices about their health and wellbeing.
The survey is available for year groups 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and Post-16. It is easy to use and provides schools and colleges with instant access to their data.
The School Health Service can support your school to use the survey and plan activities from the responses. They encourage schools to use the survey as part of their whole school approach.
The summary of survey responses can:
- help develop or update your whole-school health improvement action plan (part of the School Health Check)
- help you plan and deliver more effective PSHE education tailored to your school community
- inform planning of targeted support services and pastoral care practice
- provide evidence for Ofsted inspections on whole-school improvement work
Support with the survey
Schools and colleges taking up the survey get support materials. These guide staff on the safe, anonymous completion of the survey.
Pupils get materials to help them understand what they are being asked and why. This includes a pupil diary which is provided a week before the survey.
Pre and post-lesson plans are also available.
Register for the My Health, My School survey
Email the School Health Service at: kchft.schoolhealthplan@nhs.net
Please note, it can take up to 7 days to activate your survey.
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