Healthy Schools
We have recently received confirmation that we have gained Enhanced Healthy School status for 2021. Please read the letter we received from Andrea Eadsforth from Rochdale Council which was sent to us with our certificate.
Dear Rebecca,
Many thanks for submitting your report for the Enhanced Healthy Schools Status. The report is very interesting and informative, showing the difference that you have made to your pupils, increasing their understanding of the importance of developing a ‘Healthy Mind’. Your project aim was to:
Increase children’s understanding and awareness of keeping their mind healthy as well as their bodies, encouraging them to understand their own feelings and develop strategies to cope with any anxieties as well as understanding how their words/actions can impact on others mental health.
The report highlights the positive impact following the intervention. It is positive to see that through the project, pupils are now more confident to share their personal reflections and are able to link the meditation session stories to real life.
Pupils are also confident to share their experiences and their personal written reflections:
‘I like to be still and think about the world around me.’ ‘Being quiet is good because it is busy all the time with people talking and moving.’ ‘I find it hard to be still and not talk but I am getting better at it and it makes me feel good.’
‘Jesus really didn’t share all tat bread and fish with that many people it is telling us that we should not be greedy, not take things we don’t need and share it with others in the world.’
Through the training you have provided, staff are now more confident to deal with issues raised and you have 2 MHFA trained staff that can support as appropriate. You have established new interventions and have also been asked to become a pilot school for the ‘Journal’ resource.
You have continued to encourage pupils to lead a healthy lifestyle. You took part in the ‘Gulp’ sessions and you encourage pupils to walk/cycle to school through the ‘Wow’ initiative- where you have seen improved pupil engagement.
The knowledge and skills which your pupils have gained through participating in the project should also help your pupils to understand the importance of maintaining good Mental health and awareness to develop their resilience and bounce back ability, in their life outside of school.
I have enclosed herewith your certificate. Please would you also thank all your staff for all of their hard work in developing the enhancement work in your school with your pupils.
Yours faithfully,
Andrea Eadsforth
Healthy Schools Teaching & Learning Adviser
At St. John's we are extremely proud of our Healthy Schools status. As a Healthy School we meet the criteria in four core areas. These criteria relate not only to the taught curriculum but also to the emotional, physical and learning environment that the school provides. These areas are:
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
Healthy Eating
Physical Activity
Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health (EWMH)
The core areas are separated here for the sake of clarity, but we address them all at the same time, as they are both interrelated and interdependent.
At St. John's we 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 extremely effective school improvement mechanism which brings about and embeds cultural and behavioural change in schools
Further information on how we cover these areas can be found across our website
Healthy Eating
We have a nutritionally balanced school lunch menu and we encourage parents to provide healthy packed lunches. Children drink water throughout the day. Healthy Eating is also covered in the Curriculum.
We have a rigorous programme of recording and monitoring allergy information and work with parents and healthy professionals to draw up care plans where appropriate. For children with specific dietary needs we provide tailored menus to meet those needs.
Physical Activity
At St. John's we have a comprehensive PE Curriculum which is supported by extra curricular activity programme and additional Forest School sessions. We encourage all children to take part in the extra curricular activities on offer and fund places for those children in receipt of pupil premium. We ensure our extra curriculum activities are also accessible to any children with disabilities and additional support is provided. Inter School competitions are organised frequently and the children relish the opportunity to take part in competitive sports.
We have recently introduced Playground Pals to enhance the games and activities on offer at play and lunch time. Structured lunchtime groups are also provided for those children who need additional support at lunchtimes.
PSHCE- Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education
We follow the Heartsmart scheme for PSHCE which focuses on the four areas above as well as developing children's Growth Mind-set and Christian Values through five Heartsmart rules. For more information about this see the PSHCE section in curriculum and this website.
Well-being
At St. John's we have a committed approach the mental health and well-being of all our children and staff. The Department for Education (DfE) recognises that: “in order to help their pupils succeed; schools have a role to play in supporting them to be resilient and mentally healthy”. We do this through our PSHCE curriculum, wider curriculum areas and the work on Growth Mind-set and mindfulness. For more information about this have a look at our Well-being Policy and Well-being section under key information on this website.
In order to achieve Enhanced Health School Status our wider thinking and planning around health and well-being for children and young people has been ackowledged.
Have a look in the parent section under Sugar SMART to see what we are doing in school to reduce and swap sugary foods!