Healthy schools and educational settings
Research evidence shows that education and health are closely linked. So promoting the health and wellbeing of pupils and students within schools and colleges has the potential to improve their educational outcomes and their health and wellbeing outcomes.
The culture, ethos and environment of a school influences the health and wellbeing of pupils and their readiness to learn.
A positive association exists between academic attainment and physical activity levels of pupils.
Supporting student health and wellbeing requires a whole school approach working with children, young people, families and staff to create environments that support health and wellbeing as well as providing interventions and support when specific needs arise.
Environmental Factors include thinking about the food environment of the setting, including vending machines as well as the catering offer, and how active transport by foot, bicycle and public transport can be enabled as well as physical activity during the educational day.
Interventions and support range from integrated support for health and wellbeing into teaching, targeted wellbeing interventions such as the ‘daily mile’ and specific support through services such as educational psychology and school nursing services.
Education settings play an important role in shaping our health and wellbeing, but they cannot address issues such as childhood obesity or young people’s mental health without work in communities, families and with young people themselves.
Here are some resources that can support education settings around health and wellbeing:
