Over the last academic year, 14 more schools achieved NHSS, bringing the total across the county to 97%. The County Council recently hosted a special celebration event and many of the schools were able to send along representatives on the day to receive their presentation plaques in person.
All schools in East Sussex are signed up to the national ‘Healthy Schools' programme and as most have now achieved the ‘National Healthy Schools Status', the Council has already exceeded the local target of 95% of schools qualifying for the award by April 2011.
Councillor David Elkin, Lead Cabinet Member for Learning and School Effectiveness, said: “We are very committed as a council to promoting healthy lifestyles, particularly among our young people. The fact that we are so far ahead of our targets is testament to all the hard work that has been going on, both in the schools and within the Council's Standards, Learning and Effectiveness Service and I am very pleased that that work is being properly recognised here today.”
To qualify for NHSS, a school must collect and present evidence under all four of the programme's themes:
- personal, social and health education
- emotional health and well-being
- healthy eating, and
- physical sctivity.
And they must also demonstrate how they involved the whole school community in the initiative. The ‘Standards, Learning and Effectiveness Service ' within East Sussex County Council actively supports schools in this endeavour, led by dedicated teaching and learning consultants, who work in close partnership with the two Primary Care Trusts for East Sussex.
Marilyn Stephens, Teaching and Learning Manager: Pupil Wellbeing and Vulnerable Groups, said: “All local schools submit a case study as part of their evidence to achieve national Healthy Schools Status. Many of the most recent qualifying schools chose to improve healthy eating and the dining room environment and were ably supported by Paul Aagaard, the Food in Schools Adviser, based with the Primary Care Trusts.”
Schools achieving NHSS during this academic year are:
- Buxted Primary
- Jarvis Brook Primary
- Marshlands Primary
- Parkmead Primary
- Rye Primary
- Seaford Primary
- Shinewater Primary
- South Malling Primary
- Southdown Junior
- Southover CofE Primary
- St Leonards Primary
- St Philip's RC Primary
- Telscombe Cliffs CPS
- Western Road Primary.
Further information
The Healthy Schools programme encourages a more healthy outlook and way of life. The Government requires that all schools should be working towards the National Healthy School Status, as the key indicator of which schools are meeting the health and well being requirements of the ‘Every Child Matters' Children Act.
Reference:
2896
Contact the press team
East Sussex County Council