Introduction to the Core Themes
National Healthy School Status requires schools to meet criteria in four core themes.
These criteria relate not only to the taught curriculum but also to the school's emotional, physical and learning environment. There are a number of specific actions that schools need to take in order to gain Healthy Schools status. Many schools are already engaged in these activities, so achieving recognition need not be onerous.
Schools are asked to demonstrate evidence in the core themes using a whole
school approach which involves the whole school community:
- Personal, Social and Health Education including sex and relationship education and drug education (including alcohol, tobacco, and volatile substance abuse)
- Healthy eating
- Physical activity
- Emotional health and wellbeing (including bullying)
Download an Introduction to the National Healthy Schools Programme. All these documents are in your Support Material ring binder and you can also download them from the National Healthy Schools website.