Making it happen

For some schools, the establishment of a health promotion programme: 

• will complement and support a lot of the programmes already run in the school
• will develop quickly where it can be seen as an integral part of daily activity, engaging staff, pupils and parents in a shared commitment
• should exemplify the mutual respect evident among staff, students and parents
• should seek to extend the learning community into aspects of emotional and social well-being, where positive relationships will help support learning.    

Where a high-quality health promotion programme can develop quickly: 

• both pupils and teachers are able to accept responsibility for learning
• good relationships are evident across the school
• cooperation and cross-curricular developments exist
• pupils and teachers have high expectations of themselves
• negative behaviour is discouraged.    

Definitions

It is helpful for managers and leaders to be clear about the definitions of health education and the health promoting school. This will assist with the planning and audit process. 

Health education

Health education is usually delivered within the personal and social development or personal and social education (PSE) programmes. It is that part of the formal curriculum which seeks to develop knowledge and understanding of the physical, emotional and social dimensions of health, for each pupil. 

Within this formal framework there are structured learning opportunities for pupils to develop not only knowledge and understanding but also to: 

• acquire and develop skills
• explore attitudes
• clarify values.    

All of these will contribute to each pupil's capacity to take responsibility in relation to their health. Access to this part of the curriculum is the entitlement of every pupil in the school. 

The wholeness of health is reflected in the fact that health education is closely aligned with and subsumed within citizenship and in religious and moral education and also by the fact that it may be delivered effectively within a wide range of other subject areas. It is also best delivered within the context of a health promoting school. 

A table outlining the key issues underpinning the health education 5–14 curriculum is available to download.

Word file: Issues underpinning health education: 5-14 curriculum (37KB)

Health promoting schools

Health promoting schools reflect the wholeness of health not only through the formal curriculum, as described above, but also the informal curriculum. Its range and scope is vast and underpins almost all aspects of daily life and work for all people in the school. 

A health promoting school is one in which all members of the school community work together to provide pupils with integrated and positive experiences and structures, which promote and protect their health. This includes both the formal and the informal curriculum in health, the creation of a safe and healthy school environment, the provision of appropriate health services and the involvement of the family and wider community in efforts to promote health.
World Health Organization (1995)