Healthy award scheme’s a winner as dozens of schools aim for gold

AS OBESITY among 10-year-olds reaches a record high and many schools are struggling to cope with increased mental health issues among pupils, one landmark scheme is calling on more schools to take positive action.

The Healthy Schools award scheme was launched by North Yorkshire County Council in October last year.

Using funding from its public health grant, the online scheme supports schools to work towards improving the health of pupils and staff with a focus on a number of areas, including emotional health and well-being and appropriate food for school dinners and packed lunches.

Despite being launched less than five months ago, Bedale High recently became the 150th school to sign up to the project which enables staff and students to work towards bronze, silver and gold Healthy School awards.

Bedale High teacher Andy Childe said: “I went to the Healthy Schools launch event at Harlow Carr last year and I was really excited about getting involved in the scheme. In secondary schools, staff and students are facing increasing pressures from both inside and outside the classroom.

“There is an ongoing challenge to get the balance right when it comes to ensuring that we are giving our students the best possible academic provision, while also taking good care of the emotional health and well-being of everyone within our school community.

“We are now working towards a silver award and have already developed a staff well-being group and appointed two Year 11 student leaders as pupil champions. The school is also working hard to ensure that the importance of emotional health and well-being, not just academic success, are integral to everything we do.”

The launch of the Healthy Schools schemes comes as the

Department for Education has pledged £2.4m as part of a national drive to encourage youngsters to do 60 minutes of physical activity per day.

Concerns have also been raised about mental health issues amongst young people. A report published earlier this month by the children’s mental health charity, Place2Be, claimed the number of schools in England buying in professional mental health support for pupils had nearly doubled in three years,

Coun Caroline Dickinson, the county council’s executive member for public health, prevention and supported housing, said: “The Healthy Schools programme is playing a very important part in our ongoing work to deliver the North Yorkshire Children and Young People’s Plan.

“That plan is driven by the vision that our county will be ‘a place of opportunity where all children and young people are happy, healthy and achieving’.”

The Healthy Schools scheme has been developed in partnership between the Energy and Sustainability Traded Service and the Children and Young People’s Education and Skills Service.

All schools which are maintained by the local authority can sign up to the scheme at no cost for an initial two years. Private and out of county schools are also eligible to join for an annual charge.

As part of the scheme, teachers can take advantage of free training sessions around the county and schools are encouraged to involve pupils in the delivery of the project.

Schools interested in taking part can register online at healthyschoolsnorthyorks.org.

The school is working hard to ensure health and well-being are integral.

Bedale High School’s Andy Childe.