Sir Paul Ennals discusses the need to find effective ways of supporting schools to continue this work.
For some years now the Healthy Schools programme has helped schools to improve the wellbeing of their pupils. It has provided a framework to support school initiatives in several important areas - in eating healthily, making the physical environment suitable, tackling bullying, encouraging pupil voice. The large majority of schools actively participate in the scheme, which has become part of the culture of schools across the country.
Good schools have always understood the importance of promoting wellbeing. They know the correlation between Healthy School status and high educational attainment. They know that pupils who eat well learn better and that pupils who feel anxious or unsafe do not concentrate. They know that parents want their children to spend their days in an environment that is healthy. They know that teachers prefer to work in schools that look after their children well.
Now the government's expectations of schools may be about to change. Government is stopping centrally run school improvement programmes, and that may include the Healthy Schools scheme. They are considering lifting the current duty on schools to promote the wellbeing of children. They intend to slim down the inspection system so that Ofsted no longer looks at such issues.
The risk we now face is that some schools might lose the momentum that has developed in making schools healthier places for children. But it would be no good us simply railing against the loss of a programme like Healthy Schools, however successful and popular it has been. Instead we need to find a way of continuing to support schools to keep children healthy. Indeed this may be an opportunity to consider a fresh approach that does not rely upon government targets, one that is owned by schools themselves and allows them to prioritise their own improvements from a range of informed options.
NCB helped design the initial Healthy Schools programme, and has remained a strong supporter and advocate. We could not sit back and watch the improvements of recent years run into the sand. Good schools want to make their children healthier and we need to find new ways of supporting them in doing this. Improving children's health and wellbeing in schools must remain at the heart of school improvement.
NCB'S ROLE IN IMPROVING PUPIL WELLBEING
NCB has played a significant part over many years in developing and supporting the role that schools play in securing better attainment, health and wellbeing for their pupils.
NCB works to influence policy and practice, disseminate the best evidence, build resources and bring the voices and views of children and young people to the fore.
NCB's commitment to ensuring that all children and young people have the most fulfilling educational experience possible is stronger than ever.
NCB also hosts a number of specialist bodies that have a national profile in the education sector including the Sex Education Forum, the Anti-Bullying Alliance, the Council for Disabled Children and Play England.
