Passport to a Healthier You Case Study

The Passport to a Healthier You project at Forres Academy aims to encourage the participants to set their own goals. These include:

• increasing their physical activity
• raising their self-esteem
• improving their physical appearance
• improving their eating habits
• becoming part of a group.  

How it contributes to education and health policy priorities

This project is one of a number of linked initiatives at Forres Academy, which has taken a whole school approach towards becoming a health promoting school.

Other initiatives include:

• the Hut 9 'chill out facility' – alternative curriculum, individual and group support coordinated by the LCN support officer
• a transition project – partnership between primary and secondary school, Hut 9, social work and community learning and development
• increased physical activity – link with the new Moray Council leisure facility in Forres, coordinated by the Active Schools coordinator
• healthy eating – breakfast club, healthy lunches, healthy snack dispensers
• a lunchtime drop-in service – lifestyle and health information provided through NHS Grampian and community learning and development 
• mental health initiative – includes staff health and well-being (Scotland's Health at Work silver award), domestic abuse awareness and awareness raising through mental health promotion (primarily to S5 and S6).  

Timescale, scope and funding

• Passport to a Healthier You – ongoing from September 2004
• Confidence to Cook – eight weeks during September to November 2005
• Funding through Moray Council, NHS Grampian Partnership, Forres LCN  

The Passport to a Healthier You club, originally called the Forres Academy Fit Club, was set up to encourage pupils who were not participating in any physical activities to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

The Active Schools coordinator and the school nurse led the development of the club, which meets two lunchtimes a week. Membership of the club has grown to 35. Not everyone attends each session, but most are seen once a week.

Initial sessions encouraged the members to become more active through participation in activities chosen by the pupils. These included:

• basketball
• parachute games
• badminton
• circuit training
• social chat sessions to discuss matters raised by pupils. 

Further activity was encouraged by team building games with staff from the school drama department and the opportunity to sign out pedometers, so that pupils could record distance covered in a day. This was part of the personal record keeping that formed a key element in encouraging participants to take responsibility for their own lifestyles. 

Recording sheets are also provided to record:

• physical activity (pedometer record, skips, ball games, swimming, other)
• weight change (weekly)
• eating diary (separate sheets for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks)
• body measurements (confidential measurements kept by the school nurse).  

The use of these recording sheets for weight and fat measurements is voluntary.

In recognition of the importance of eating habits in relation to health, the Active Schools coordinator, who is also a home economics teacher, was keen to encourage pupils to eat healthily. This led to a Confidence to Cook taster session in June 2005.

Monitoring and evaluation have been achieved by the following means:

• self-assessment and record keeping by individuals
• evaluation and record keeping by the Active Schools coordinator and school nurse. 

• Levels of exercise increased for all participants.
• The numbers taking part increased throughout the project.
• A number of participants have since joined other extra-curricular clubs or have taken up other activities (for example, tennis).
• Participants in Confidence to Cook gained awareness of healthy eating and the balance of eating and exercise; they were also willing to try different foods.
• Parents have reported back that the eating patterns in the home have also changed; children are preparing food both for themselves and for the family.
• All have gained an increased awareness and greater self-confidence.
• House points are awarded for participating; this has proved to be a significant motivating factor. 

Future plans

• An agreement has been reached with the new Forres Gym for group members to receive free induction and several sessions in the fitness suite.
• The gym membership also gives them access to the swimming pool.
• An electronic noticeboard is to be installed in the school; house points will be displayed on it on a daily basis to provide a further incentive for improving health and fitness. 

Ann Rossiter
Home Economics Teacher/Active Schools Coordinator
Email: Ann Rossiter
ann.rossiter@moray-edunet.gov.uk

Forres Academy
Burdsyard Road
Forres
Moray
IV36 1FG
Tel: 01309 672271
Fax: 01309 676745