Health Promoting Schools

At Collydean, we are deeply committed to promoting the health and well being of our whole school community.  We believe that we should work hard to help everyone, to make sure that we are all as fit and healthy as we possibly can be!

Throughout the year classes will look at different elements of Health and Wellbeing. The components are:

• Mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing
• Planning for choices and changes
• Physical education, physical activity and sport
• Food and health
• Substance misuse
• Relationships, sexual health and parenthood

What are the main purposes of learning in health and wellbeing?

Learning in health and wellbeing ensures that our children develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future. It enables the children to:

• make informed decisions in order to improve their mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing
• experience challenge and enjoyment
• experience positive aspects of healthy living and activity for themselves
• apply their mental, emotional, social and physical skills to pursue a healthy lifestyle
• make a successful move to the next stage of education or work
• establish a pattern of health and wellbeing which will be sustained into adult life, and which will help to promote the health and wellbeing of the next generation of Scottish children.

Each week in Collydean we make sure that the children are involved in the recommended two hours of physical activity. Pupils take part in both indoor and outdoor PE lessons.  We build periods of outdoor learning into our weekly timetables. The classes are encouraged to fully utilise the school playground and areas we have around Collydean e.g the wooded areas, the Louise Blundell Sensory Garden and Magnus Drive play area.  In the summer term, during lunch and break times the older children teach the younger children playground games and we have playground equipment to support these activities.

The children are encouraged to choose healthy options at lunch and we encourage them to drink water during the day.  This is a healthy way to keep hydrated whilst not impacting on dental hygiene or making it more difficult for children to concentrate through excessive sugar or additives such as colourings or sweeteners. Children will only have access to plain water during class time.  Children will still be able to drink milk and still juices / flavoured water at break and lunch time.  Please support this by only sending plain water in water bottles and no fizzy drinks or energy drinks at all.

Through the year, there are many after school clubs organised that allow the children to be active.  These include running, football, basketball and dance. We continue to provide a wide variety of taster sessions throughout the year – these have included golf, taekwondo, judo and yoga.  Cycling Proficiency is available for Primary 6.  NHS Fife are working with staff, pupils and families to support a healthy lifestyle.

Each year we hold a very successful Health Week. The children from nursery to Primary 7, staff and families are involved in a wide range of activities to raise awareness of Health and Wellbeing.  We link our Health promoting activities with many intivities: Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and will have a week of sporting events to highlight these.

Previously, we carried out an audit of our health promotion mechanisms by asking parents/ carers, pupils and staff to share their views. This feedback helped us decide what our priorities should be in our Health and Well Being Development Plan.  We have achieved Health Promoting Schools Accreditation at Phase II and have started our journey towards Phase III.   We have chosen the following 6 outcomes to work on:

Positive Ethos

• Pupils take an active role in the decision making process.

Bluecard 7 – The staff team of all areas of pastoral care and are sensitive to pupils’ individual needs.

Learning and Teaching

• Children and young people learn to build and experience healthy relationships and develop self-respect for others in a climate that enables them to develop the 4 capacities of Curriculum for Excellence. (Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors, Successful Learners, Responsible Citizens)
• The school demonstrates a commitment to health education across the curriculum through contextualised learning, interdisciplinary learning and the organisation of special events.

Yellow card 6 – The school demonstrates a commitment to heath education across the curriculum through contextualised learning, interdisciplinary learning and the organisation of special events.

The Environment

• Schools adopt a whole-child, whole school approach to food.
• The school playground is developed as a safe, social area to meet the needs of children and young people.

Green card 6 – The school actively promotes safe travel to and from its premises and specifically encourages active and healthy travel options.

Management and Leadership

• Management works collaboratively with the whole school community developing effective partnerships in relation to health promotion.

Purple card 3 – Management is committed to healthy lifestyles and actively promotes the health and wellbeing of staff, pupils and parents.

Purple card 8 – There is whole school responsibility for Health and Safety procedures

Purple card 9 – There is whole school policy, guidance and procedures which deal effectively with Child Protection.  All staff are aware of their responsibilities for care and welfare within the school community.

This will involve partnership working with for example: Audrey Duncan our school nurse, the Parent Council, Fiona Ashton-Jones our Active Schools Coordinator, Elspeth Killin from Craigencalt Ecology Centre in Kinghorn and members of the local community who support us. Any health promotion developments include both curricular and extra curricular activities. We also provide staff development opportunities linked to health promotion /improvement.

Fife Education has created its own Health Promoting Schools website to support this initiative.

The national website offers a wealth of information and is worth visiting.

Hungry for Success is an initiative linked directly to Health Promoting Schools.

Try this great interactive game online.