Gaining and maintaining Healthy School status in Cornwall from September 2011

Introduction

The changes to the programme at national level in March 2011 have given local programmes greater freedom to support schools. Here in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly we have take the opportunity to create a new way of working for, and with, schools to support the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Reducing bureaucracy, maintaining rigour

We developed our process with the Government's aim of minimising bureaucracy for schools in mind. Alongside this we are clear that being a Healthy School or holding Healthy Schools Plus status in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will be a powerful indicator that the school is wholly committed to pupil wellbeing and can show how it has gone about this and what impact it has had. So whilst we are reducing the bureaucratic burden and minimising the paper trail we will be challenging schools to show strong and sustained commitment and asking for the views of the wider school community to ensure they recognise and benefit from such a commitment.

Overview

Our process is in two parts. The Annual Audit and Healthy Schools Plus will run alongside each other and will together form a new, more rigorous Healthy School status in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly from September 2011.

Involvement in Healthy Schools is entirely voluntary. Submission of the Annual Audit by the appropriate date each year maintains engagement in Healthy Schools.

Being engaged in Healthy Schools through the Annual Audit and completing Healthy Schools Plus projects as appropriate to the needs of the school gains the school Healthy School Plus status with use of a new Healthy Schools Plus logo.  Gaining Healthy School Plus status will also be marked with a new plaque or physical award to be introduced in 2012.

Download A guide to gaining and maintaining Healthy School status in Cornwall 2011

Help from Cornwall Healthy Schools 

We can support you through the entire process, for example by giving you help to go through the audit, by helping you to identify effective ways to implement your action plan and by supporting your Healthy Schools Plus projects with data, tools, ideas for effective interventions and help with evaluation.