Frequently asked questions
Do you have a question that isn't answered here? Go to our discussion forum and ask it there.
How will my school benefit from taking part? There are many benefits. Your school will be able to take advantage of our valuable support. You will benefit from accessing the good practice of other schools like your own. Community cohesion will be improved through the increased involvement of parents and the wider community through, for example, gardening projects and many other healthy and enjoyable activities.
Must my school become a Healthy School? No! Gaining National Healthy School Status is not a statutory requirement. But we would strongly recommend that you take part because the Healthy Schools process provides good evidence for your SEF and for Ofsted. Throughout the Healthy Schools process we are determined that your school's needs are paramount.
What help can my school expect to receive? We recommend that you enter into a voluntary partnership agreement with us so that you know what we are offering and you can benefit from all our support.
What does the programme expect of my school? Under the voluntary partnership agreement, in return for all the support we offer you, there are some things that we ask your school to sign up to.
My school has asked me to be the Healthy Schools Co-ordinator. How will I find time for all this extra work? Don't think of it as extra work for yourself. One of the most important underlying principles of Healthy Schools is the whole school approach. Everyone is involved, everyone contributes, everyone shares in the work. By adopting the whole school approach your school ensures the full engagement of the school community: pupils and their parents and carers, staff, governors and the wider community.
Did you say forty-one criteria? We're already overworked! In our experience most schools find that they are already meeting many of the criteria. Your Healthy Schools Support Worker will help you to become familiar with the online audit and you can also attend our training sessions. When you have entered what your school is already doing onto the online audit you will have a better idea of what you need to do. The actions that you then put on your action plan will be those that your school wants to commit time and resources to.
What is Ofsted's view of Healthy Schools? The Healthy Schools process is one of whole school improvement. Ofsted inspectors ask schools whether they have achieved Healthy Schools status. During the inspection they seek to ascertain whether pupils have a good understanding of safe, healthy lifestyles and they comment on relevant issues in the inspection report.