Newport schools promoting health and well-being
Posted on Friday 29th May 2015
Newport City Council’s cabinet member for education and young people, Councillor Debbie Wilcox, is congratulating all Newport schools for achieving at least phase three within the Welsh Network of Healthy Schools Scheme (WNHSS).
WNHSS supports schools in developing excellent practice related to health promotion. Launched in 1999 the scheme provides a framework for the development of health promotion and encourages local healthy school schemes.
The scheme also ensures that pupils are involved in the planning and implementation of health promotion in their school. For example, this could be the selling of fruit in tuck shops or a specific group of pupils investigating the nutrition of school meals.
Councillor Wilcox commented: “I would like to offer my congratulations to all Newport schools for achieving the Welsh Network of Healthy Schools Scheme. All schools have demonstrated a committed approach to the programme and delivered health promotion among their education environment.
“As a council we are committed to providing and protecting the health and well-being of pupils in our schools and the WNHSS encourages this. Well done to all schools for their dedication to this scheme and for making our schools healthier.”
Two schools, Eveswell Primary School and Lliswerry Primary School, have achieved the prestigious National Quality Award and it is anticipated that a further school will be accredited during the summer term.
“Special mention and thanks has to go to staff at Eveswell Primary School and Lliswerry Primary school for their willingness and enthusiasm in supporting other schools in their healthy schools development,” continued Councillor Wilcox.
“The support of these two schools has been invaluable. Thanks must also be extended to all Healthy Schools Coordinators for their hard work in collating the evidence required to achieve each phase of the scheme.”
To gain the National Quality Award, a school must move through six award phases progressively. This enables schools to embed and monitor the provision of whole school actions under the following seven healthy themes:
- Food and Fitness
- Mental and Emotional Health and Well Being
- Personal Development and Relationships
- Substance Use and Misuse
- Environment
- Safety
- Hygiene
Each of the themes requires a whole school approach through leadership, communication, curriculum, ethos, environment and the involvement of family and community. The importance of pupil participation in core areas of school life is a pivotal part of the scheme.
In addition to promoting pupil and family health the scheme also promotes the ‘development of a health promoting workplace’. This aspect of the theme links to the Corporate Health Standard.