Gaining and maintaining Healthy School status in Cornwall

Introduction

Here in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly we have taken the opportunity to create a new way of working for, and with, schools to support the health and wellbeing of children and young people. In the year since we introduced the Annual Audit / Healthy Schools Plus we've been overwhelmed by the way schools have responded and over half of all schools have signed up!

Reducing bureaucracy, maintaining rigour

We developed our process with the Government's aim of minimising bureaucracy for schools in mind. Alongside this we are clear that being a Healthy School or holding Healthy Schools Plus status in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will be a powerful indicator that the school is wholly committed to pupil wellbeing and can show how it has gone about this and what impact it has had.

There is a particular contribution wellbeing work can make around the new Ofsted framewok (introduced in Jan 2012). The Annual Audit self evaluation process can provide excellent evidence for Ofsted.

So whilst we are reducing the bureaucratic burden and minimising the paper trail, we will be challenging schools to show strong and sustained commitment and asking for the views of the wider school community to ensure they recognise and benefit from such a commitment.

Overview

Our process is in two parts. The Annual Audit and Healthy Schools Plus  run alongside each other  together form a  rigorous approach to Healthy School status in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Involvement in Healthy Schools is entirely voluntary. Submission of the Annual Audit by the appropriate date each year maintains engagement in Healthy Schools.

Being engaged in Healthy Schools through the Annual Audit and completing Healthy Schools Plus projects as appropriate to the needs of the school gains the school Healthy School Plus status with use of the Healthy Schools Plus logo.  Gaining Healthy School Plus status will also be marked with a new plaque or physical award to be introduced in 2012.

Download A guide to gaining and maintaining Healthy School status in Cornwall from 2011

Help from Cornwall Healthy Schools 

We can support you through the entire process, for example by giving you help to go through the audit, by helping you to identify effective ways to implement your action plan and by supporting your Healthy Schools Plus projects with data, tools, ideas for effective interventions and help with evaluation.