Health

What is a health promoting school?

Two Scottish Executive publications, ‘A Route to Health Promotion’ and ‘Health Promotion-Issues for Councils and Schools’, highlight the development of health promoting schools as a priority for action. A health promoting school values democracy and participation. It is successful in encouraging pupils and staff to give of their best and build on their achievements, and is continually adapting and developing to meet the needs of its community. A health promoting school understands the important effect that improving the health and well-being of its pupils and staff will have on raising attainment, fulfilling potential and improving quality of life.” (Quote from ‘The Highland Council Health Promoting School Guidelines’.)

We are a health promoting school because we:

• have a clear statement of  health promoting aims

• actively promote self-esteem of the whole school community

• develop good relations within the school

• develop good relations with home and community

• provide a wide range of stimulating challenges for all pupils

• use every opportunity to improve the physical environment of the school

• plan and deliver a coherent curriculum based health education programme

• systematically arrange for assessment that involve pupils recording and reviewing their health education needs and their levels of understanding

• actively promote the health and well-being of all school staff

• develop staff awareness of their professional roles in health-related issues and have a whole-school approach to professional development in this area

• acknowledge school nutrition reflects and supports the healthy school ethos

• activate expertise of specialist services in the community to support health promotion

Curriculum

We follow the Highland Council 5-14 Health Education programme which is based on the framework of the revised Health 5-14 guidelines and on the Highland Council ‘Health Promoting School Guidelines’. The programme  identifies coherence in specific health themes of Drugs, Nutrition, Safety and Sexual education Health also permeates the hidden curriculum through integration of Health education with other areas of the curriculum, extra-curricular activities and the supporting school ethos. Health education is supported by external health and caring agencies through on-going partnership between home, school and local community, and through Highland and national health promoting initiatives e.g Hungry for Success.

Relationships and Sexual Health

Education on the above decreases the likelihood of misinformation from peers, and highlights behaviour which could put the pupil at risk. Sexuality is an integral part of being human and has significant influence on perceptions, attitudes and behaviour. It affects the way we think and feel. These areas will be explored within Relationships and Sexual Education at appropriate stages throughout the school.

Consulting parents about Relationships and Sexual Health programmes

Parents/carers have the right to be consulted, in advance, about the programmes that their children will receive. Available research from within Highland suggests that most parents are very supportive of such consultation and are grateful when it occurs. Effective relationship and sexual health education depends on a partnership between home and school. We strive to establish good communication links with parents/carers, build up trust and confidence where aspects of the programme can be discussed openly both with parents/carers and pupils. All parents have a copy of the health overviews in Drugs, Nutrition, Relationships and Sexual Health and Safety education which identify the assessment focus for pupils at each 5-14 level across the 4 main components of the Health programme