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Frequently Asked Questions

expand What is a Healthy School?

A Healthy School is one that supports the overall health and well-being of its pupils, staff, and community. By creating an environment that promotes physical, social, emotional and mental health, pupils should feel safe, supported and empowered to reach their potential.

Here are some key characteristics of a healthy school:

Promotes mental health and emotional wellbeing

Supports pupils understanding of healthy relationships

Teaches personal safety and risk management

Prepares pupils for financial literacy

Supports physical health and wellbeing

Promotes social and cultural awareness

Empowers pupils to make informed decisions

Supports academic achievement

expand What is the School Health Check?

The School Health Check is an online toolkit to help schools self validate against the 4 core health themes of Healthy Schools

Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) Education

Healthy Eating

Physical Activity

Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH).

The School Health Check:

  • Ensures schools have the fundamental elements of Healthy Schools in place to achieve/maintain Healthy School Status.
  • Allows schools to audit health and wellbeing across all 4 themes and grade provision using Ofsted style descriptors to identify and celebrate strengths, as well as next steps.
  • Has been linked to the statutory guidance for Relationships Education (RE) Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education (HE) to support schools to meet this requirement.

 

 

expand What does Healthy School Status require?

Healthy School Status requires schools to meet criteria in four core health themes:

  • Personal, Social, Health and Econimc (PSHE) education including Relationships (RE), Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education (HE) 
  • Healthy Eating
  • Physical Activity
  • Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH)

These criteria relate not only to the taught curriculum but also to the emotional, physical and learning environment that the school provides. Many schools are already engaged in these activities so achieving recognition need not be onerous. Within each of the four core health themes there are 10 strands:

1. Leadership.

2. Policy. 

3. Curriculum.

4. Teaching & Learning.

5. Assessment.

6. Pupil Voice.

7. Support Services.

8. Professional Development.

9. Partnerships. 

10. School Ethos.

 Schools are encouraged to take a whole school approach in order to:

  • Develop an ethos and environment that supports learning and promotes the health and wellbeing of all.
  • Engage, consult and encourage participation of all within the school community.
  • Create an effective school improvement mechanism which brings about and embeds cultural and behavioural change in schools.

expand Who should complete the School Health Check?

The Healthy School Co-ordinator should lead and coordinate the process, with the support of senior leadership. It is best practice for individual sections to be completed in partnership/collaboration with the most appropriate coordinator/person/people for each theme. For example, the physical activity coordinator may complete the physical activity section, in order to adopt a whole school approach. These groups may also include pupils, parents and governors, where appropriate.

expand How long is Healthy Schools Status valid for?

Healthy Schools Status is valid for 3 years from the date the self-validation is accepted. However, it is recommended that the audit is reviewed and updated regularly after submission to ensure the information is up to date and relevant. This can be done through this website.

expand How much does it cost?

Annual subscription to this website is £259 plus value added tax (VAT), giving you access to the online toolkit for 12 months.

Service Level Agreements (SLA) for the Health and Wellbeing Service are available and these include annual subscription to the Healthy Schools website. These can be found on Leeds for Learning Health and Wellbeing Services | Leeds for Learning

Schools outside of Leeds are able to purchase an external Service Level Agreement (SLA). A range of options are available which allows schools to tailor the SLA to suit their needs.  These can be found on Health and Wellbeing Services | Leeds for Learning

Please note, you will need to register on this site to view the SLA options.

 Schools in Leeds: subscription to www.healthyschools.org.uk has been subsidised by Public Health.

All state funded schools in East Sussex are able to access the School Health Check for at no cost. - (Subscription to the School Health Check is currently funded until July 31st 2026 by East Sussex Public Health).

All state funded schools in Buckinghamshire are able to access the School Health Check for at no cost. - (Subscription to the School Health Check is currently funded until 30th May 2025  by Buckinghamshire Council).

 

expand What setting is the programme for?

The programme is for all schools; infant, primary, secondary, free, independent, alternative provision and special / specialist inclusive learning centres (SILCs). We have a cross section of local, national and international schools who have completed the programme.

expand Will I have to put a portfolio of evidence together?

No, the Healthy Schools Programme is a non-portfolio based award. If your school does have an external validation visit, following your self-validation, you will be asked for a number of documents prior to the visit, such as curriculum plans and a range of policies linked to the four core health themes of the award. The rest of the evidence will be collected via discussions with key stakeholders during the external validation visit.

expand What is the impact as a result of completing the programme?

It demonstrates to the whole school community a commitment to the health and wellbeing of the pupils and staff in school.

Improved health and wellbeing outcomes for pupils in schools.

A clear focus for key/all staff for all four health areas, informing development planning and practice.

A celebration of good practice within school around health and wellbeing.

expand How long does it take to complete the programme?

We do not set timescales. The School Health Check can be changed and updated as many times as it needs to be before submission. For those schools wishing to have an external validation visit, we would aim to do this within 12 months of you submitting your self-validated school health check.

expand Our school has a Nursery/Post-16, does this need to be included in our Healthy Schools work and will it be externally validated?

A Healthy School Early Years setting:

  • Is one that promotes good physical, social, emotional and mental health and helps equip the youngest children, staff and families with the skills and attitudes to make informed decisions about their health. 
  • Is successful in supporting young children to feel valued and safe, be their best and build on their achievements; it is committed to ongoing improvement and development.
  • Involves the whole school community, parents, governors, staff and pupils in improving children's health, confidence, wellbeing and happiness, helping them to get the most out of life.

To become a Healthy Schools Early Years setting you need to self-validate using the Healthy Schools Early Years school health check which is available to all schools and Early Years settings in Leeds and beyond.

For our Healthy Schools Early Years programme please visit www.healthyschoolsearlyyears.org.uk/

 

Post 16 settings in Leeds can access the Mindmate Champions programme via the Post 16 Healthy Schools website.

The Mindmate Champions programme provides a way for schools and post 16 settings to audit and self-validate their Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) provision across the whole setting. It supports settings to understand the relationship between health & wellbeing and learning, and is linked to the statutory guidance for Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education (HE).

For more information on our Post 16 MindMate Champions programme please email schoolwellbeing@leeds.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

expand I can’t remember my password, what do I do?

 Just click on the 'Forgotten Password' link under the Log in tag.

expand What is a Healthy Schools Health Champion?

The Healthy Schools Health Champion programme is an enhancement model which supports schools to further develop and celebrate their Healthy Schools work. Schools who have been externally validated as a Healthy School, can engage in the model to achieve Health Champion status.

Schools are able to choose to work on any of the four key areas of the School Health Check; Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education, Healthy Eating, Physical Activity or Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). Using their My Health My School or other data, schools will identify at least one specific area to improve on. They will implement an action plan outlining their focus, which includes qualitative and/or quantitative data to measure impact on either targeted or universal provision. Assessment of outcomes will also include a short case study, describing outcomes and impact, which will be shared on the School Wellbeing website. 

MindMate Friendly schools can use the Health Champion model to achieve MindMate Champion status. 

The Health Champion programme is availiable for Leeds schools only.

expand What do schools say about the Healthy Schools Programme?

 

"The online tool is really helpful and I like the idea that it can create an action for you."

"The team have really listened to us (teachers) to improve the new website."

"As a coordinator, the website is so easy to use and to see where our strengths are and what we need improve."

"The online tool makes it so quick and easy to self-evaluate and to see where our school is."

"The SHC is great, really easy to use and to have something ready for Ofsted!"

expand References