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Healthy Schools
Joan Murphy
Healthy Settings Coordinator Schools
Health Promotion Agency
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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
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ENHPS Conference Greece 1997 identified 10 principles:
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Democracy,
Equity,
Empowerment and action competence,
School environment,
Curriculum,
Teacher training,
Measuring success,
Collaboration,
Communities,
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
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provide a safe, secure and stimulating environment which encourages
pupils to be health and safety conscious both in and out of school.
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.
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.
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.
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8.
plan and implement a coherent health curriculum which complies with
requirements and is accessible to all pupils.
provide stimulating challenges for all pupils through a wide range of
physical, academic, social and community activities.
develop good liaison with parents/guardians, other schools and the local
community on a range of health related initiatives
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
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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
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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)
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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
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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