The aims of the programme are:

• To support children and young people in developing healthy behaviour
• To help raise the achievement of children and young people
• To help reduce health inequalities
• To help promote social inclusion
• Creating healthy and happy children and young people who, as a result, do better in learning and in life.

The programme has a whole school approach involving not just the teachers and students but also includes governors, parents and the wider community.

Healthy Schools is changing!
In July 2010, the new Coalition Government confirmed that Healthy Schools will continue. The Government wants Healthy Schools to provide guidance to schools on the physical and emotional wellbeing of children and young people, recognising that Healthy Schools plays an important role in helping children and young people reach their full potential. In this context, Healthy Schools is changing.

It is changing how it is organised – nationally, regionally and locally. It is changing how schools use and access it. It is also changing to reflect new education and health policies and priorities. Schools can still use all of the resources on the National Healthy Schools website, including the online tools, and all information entered by schools into the Healthy Schools online tools can be downloaded by schools until March 2011.

Healthy Schools Northamptonshire is keeping records of all schools information on our own in-house system,
so none of your hard work will be lost.

Schools that have not yet started working with the online tools can work on status, annual review and enhancement word documents. All key National Healthy Schools guidance and associated resources will be moving to the Department for Education website at the end of March 2011. Further details about this move will be posted on the national website and on this website.

National Healthy Schools will be e-mailing the following information to all schools from 11th March 2011:

• All schools who have completed Healthy Schools Status will receive their audit in the new whole school review template format.
• All schools who have completed the Annual Review will also receive the details in the new whole school review template format.
• All schools who have inputted data into the HWIT tool will receive a planning template containing their chosen priorities, outcomes and milestones.

The Northamptonshire Healthy Schools team will continue to support local schools with achieving Healthy Schools status, completing annual reviews and developing enhancement model plans. Advisors are available to come to your school to give advice and support in all of these areas, as well as delivering primary school health assemblies, Speakeasy courses, Family SEAL training and our Healthy Early Years Programme.

New National Healthy Schools toolkit
National Healthy Schools are currently developing an online toolkit for schools to use which will be available from 1 April 2011 on the DfE website, a lnk to this toolkit can be found on the homepage of this site (home page)

The toolkit will contain resources for schools to use to influence health improvement in children and young people. The toolkit will help schools identify, plan and implement health behaviour change. It will be a downloadable folder containing information, frameworks and templates. The toolkit is flexible and templates are adaptable. Local Healthy Schools Advisors will be able to assist you working with the toolkit in addition to our own local programmes.

Healthy Schools Status
95% of Northamptonshire Schools are now participating in the scheme. This award will change from a national to a local award from April 2011. Advisors will continue to support schools past April to complete Healthy Schools Status.

Whole School Review
A quarter of schools in the county have now completed their whole school review, which looks at the current health and wellbeing practice within the school. This is a tool that all schools need to complete 3 years after completing status and before moving on to the enhancement model. Once again, advisors can assist schools in completing this tool.

Enhancement Model
40 schools have already started work on developing enhancement plans. Advisors are visiting and supporting schools in developing plans with meaningful and measureable outcomes for children and young people.

Pupil Surveys
On-line pupil surveys can be completed to help provide baseline information for schools on pupil attitudes to health and wellbeing. There is an online survey for those schools undertaking status and another separate survey for parents, staff, pupils and governors which can help schools identify areas for development in the enhancement model.