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Healthy Schools London 
London has the largest concentration of schools in the UK. The total number of London schools eligible for Healthy Schools Status is 2,448, excluding independents and nurseries but including pupil-referral units. There are 33 boroughs each with a Healthy Schools Programme and a designated lead. Responsibility for the region is split between two co-ordinators. Children living in London boroughs speak over 128 languages, and social background and health needs are complex.
As of July 2007, London had 49 per cent of its schools with Healthy School Status and 91 per cent of schools participating in the Healthy Schools Programme, a figure that more or less matches the national average. But there is no such thing as the average borough; some are behind while a few are significantly ahead. Enfield and Bexley, for example, have 70 and 71 per cent of schools with Healthy School Status respectively — well ahead of other boroughs.
But progress over the past year has been rapid. In Southwark, 54 per cent of schools have Healthy School Status and in Greenwich the number of schools with new Healthy Schools Status is 59 per cent.
London anticipates reaching the December 2007 target of 55 per cent with Healthy School Status and has already achieved the participation target of 90 per cent. Regional Co-ordinators are doing all they can to support local programmes and schools to reach the 2009 target.
So what are the challenges specific to London? The biggest issue is high staff turnover both within schools and within local authority advisory services. Linda Jackson, Region Co-ordinator for London, says: “The upside of this is we are seeing a transfusion of young and enthusiastic teaching staff”.
The second issue is that London schools cope with more change and pressure than many other areas. The co-ordinators have had to work very hard with their schools to ensure they maintain a focus on Healthy Schools amid a welter of distracting improvement initiatives. Effort is being put into making contact and maintaining momentum. Jackson says: “Supporting so many programmes, we cannot afford to take our eye off the ball. Until we can get critical mass of schools involved we cannot begin to fine tune”.
London Healthy Schools is working with other partners to spread the message. Liz Dunsford, Linda’s fellow Regional Co-ordinator, says: “We are keen to co-promote with the sustainable schools team. Many themes of health, exercise and nutrition overlap”. Initiatives such as walking or cycling to school save energy as well as being healthy. Helping to cut down on use of energy at school can be tackled through the curriculum, while healthy eating also includes an understanding of the environmental impact of food production such as food miles and home-grown or organic foods. See www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools
There are a number of regional initiatives. Foremost among them is Young London Matters, a project based in the Government Office for London that is dedicated to improving emotional health and well-being and tackling the high rate of teenage pregnancy. Young London Matters is a London approach to Every Child Matters and is a partnership initiative that brings together expertise on the issues that are affecting young Londoners and preventing them from achieving their full potential.
The website has publications for young people to download and is evolving into a larger interactive resource that will point young people in the direction of local agencies able to help them with specific health and lifestyle problems. There will be a password-protected area for directors of children’s services. See www.younglondonmatters.org
London is the focus of some well publicised regional campaigns to encourage healthy eating in schools including a number of tailored information packs. Says Liz: “We have made lots of progress here, and the network has done great work on improving school meals and their take-up”. Of course, the school dinners story began with Jamie Oliver’s work in the London Borough of Greenwich in revamping the dinners at the flagship secondary Kidbrooke School. And while the debate rages on whether compulsory healthy eating has been a turn-off for children, standards of nutrition are on the rise.
In London, there is a focus on emotional health and well-being, and the healthy-schools Regional Co-ordinators are involved in steering groups on these topics with key partnerships, the most important of which is the new Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) Subject Association.
The association has been in existence for almost a year and boasts a membership of over 1,500 PSHE professionals.
This support has enabled the association to reach some crucial milestones in its initial development phase, such as the development of an association website and the establishment of an interim council, as well as being able to have a significant voice at national level regarding developments for PSHE in the curriculum. The association’s major contribution is sharing best practice something that is important for a region as big as London. See http://www.pshe-association.org.uk
No summary of London’s progress in meeting the Healthy School Standard would be complete without mentioning the effect of the forthcoming 2012 Olympics. The Youth Sport Trust (www.youthsporttrust.org) is working in every borough to improve the quality and quantity of physical activity in schools. Says Liz Dunsford: “The Olympics is a lever for increasing funding for sport. We are hoping that it will increase the uptake in physical activity”.
Support available for schools
- One-to-one support for SMT and/or the PSHE co-ordinator in completing the Healthy Schools audit process
- Training and development opportunities in PSHE for all school staff
- Developing pupil voice and parent/carer and community involvement using a whole-school approach
- Specific policy and practice development in relation to PSHE
- Signposting and facilitating outside agency support for PSHE-related activities.
www.gos.gov.uk/gol
http://www.pshe-association.org.uk
National Healthy Schools Programme:
Regional Co-ordinators
Name Elizabeth Dunsford
Email elizabeth.dunsford@gol.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone 0207 217 3207
Fax mob
RoleNamLinda Jackson
Email Linda.Jackson@gol.gsi.gov.uk
Local Co-ordinators
Barking & Dagenham (London)
Name Joanne Casswell
Email joanne.casswell@lbbd.gov.uk
Telephone 020 8270 4830
Barnet (London)
Name Dave Rodgers
Email dave.rodgers@barnet.gov.uk
Telephone 020 8359 6370
Bexley (London)
Name Tricia Oates
Email tricia.oates@bexley.nhs.uk
Telephone
Brent (London)
Name Kate Crane
Email kate.crane@brent.gov.uk
Telephone 020 8937 3351
Bromley (London)
Name Martin Mason
Email martin.mason@bromley.gov.uk
Telephone
Camden (London)
Name Gill Morris
Email gill.morris@camden.gov.uk
Telephone 020 7974 7302
Corporation of London (London)
Name Sandra Webb
Email Sandra.Webb@corporationoflondon.gov.uk
Telephone
Croydon (London)
Name Joe Adolphe
Email joe.adolphe@croydon.gov.uk
Telephone 020 8726 7396
Ealing (London)
Name Karen Gibson
Email karen.gibson@ealing.gov.uk
Telephone 020 8825 7707
Enfield (London)
Name Una Archer
Email una.archer@enfieldpdc.org.uk
Telephone 0208 351 5259
Greenwich (London)
Name Edith Wassonko
Email Edith.Wassonko@greenwichPCT.nhs.uk
Telephone 020 8694 739
Hackney (London)
Name Liz Prosser
Email liz.prosser@learningtrust.co.uk
Telephone
Hammersmith & Fulham (London)
Name Jan Goulstone
Email jan.goulstone@lbhf.gov.uk
Telephone 020 8753 3611
Haringey (London)
Name Jude Clements
Email jude.clements@haringey.gov.uk
Telephone 0208 489 5013
Harrow (London)
Name Gill Roberts
Email gill.roberts@harrow.gov.uk
Telephone 020 8424 3836
Havering (London)
Name Tracey Wraight
Email Tracey.wraight@havering.gov.uk
Telephone 01708 433813
Hillingdon (London)
Name Tessa Pike
Email tpike@hillingdon.gov.uk
Telephone 01895 556623
Hounslow (London)
Name Annie Hargreaves
Email annie.hargreaves@hounslow.gov.uk
Telephone
Islington (London)
Name Helen Cameron
Email Helen.Cameron.CEA@islington.gov.uk
Telephone 020 7527 5591
Kensington & Chelsea (London)
Name Liza Culleney
Email Liza.Culleney@rbkc.gov.uk
Telephone 02079388027
Kingston-Upon-Thames (London)
Name Sian Rowland
Email srowla1@rbksch.org
Telephone 0208 288 5630
Lambeth (London)
Name Katie Tilley
Email ktilley@lambeth.gov.uk
Telephone 07903713821
Lewisham (London)
Name Geoff Collins
Email geoffw.collins@virgin.net
Telephone 07715 476 484
Merton (London)
Name Sian Rowland
Email sian.rowland@merton.gov.uk
Telephone
Newham (London)
Name Rachel Powell
Email rachel.powell@newham.gov.uk
Telephone 020 8430 6457
Redbridge (London)
Name Angela Benta
Email angela.benta@redbridge.gov.uk
Telephone
Richmond-Upon-Thames (London)
Name Sian Rowland
Email healthyschools@richmond.gov.uk
Telephone 020 8288 5630
Southwark (London)
Name Clare Smith
Email Clare.Smith2@southwark.gov.uk
Telephone
Sutton (London)
Name Jenny Rowley
Email jenny.rowley@sutton.gov.uk
Telephone
Tower Hamlets (London)
Name Helen Ann James
Email helenann.james@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Telephone 020 7364 6388
Waltham Forest (London)
Name Fiona Jackson
Email fiona.jackson@edu.lbwf.gov.uk
Telephone 02084965853
Wandsworth (London)
Name Lorraine King
Email lking@wandsworth.gov.uk
Telephone 0208 871 8723
Westminster (London)
Name Richard Hains
Email Richard.Hains@westminster-pct.nsh.uk
Telephone 020 7150 8124 |
