Whole school approach
The effectiveness and sustainability of school health interventions are dependant on the extent to which health promotion interventions are linked to the primary business of schools in developing the educational skills and knowledge base of young people.
IUHPE, 1999
A whole school approach is core to health promotion within a school. It requires full integration of health promotion into the life and functions of the school by working through the policies, management structures and curriculum planning processes that exist.
It also involves connecting with the wider life of young people, their families and communities – it is essential that there is real partnership with the whole school population and its wider community. The success of a whole school approach depends very much on effective partnership working and a democratic participatory ethos. Strong links with all aspects of a child's life – family, community and peers – are vital.
Content
Whats New
Physical activity that makes an impact
For physical activity to have real impact on children and young people's health, it is essential that it is embedded into the whole-school approach of a health promoting school.
Indeed the potential of every aspect of the school to promote physical activity should be explored.
Cale and Harris, 2005
Active Schools embody this whole school approach by embedding physical activity into all areas of school life, including:
- policy
- school development planning
- staff development
- ethos
- curriculum, both formal and informal
- the environment
- community links.
Effective health promotion
'The Evidence of Health Promotion Effectiveness: a report for the European Commission' (IUHPE, 2004) states that health promotion in schools is most effective when delivered through:
- approaches that are comprehensive and holistic – the whole-school approach
- approaches that are substantial, sustained over years, and relevant to changes in young people's social and cognitive development
- work undertaken in partnership with children and young people, parents, carers and families, external agencies and local communities
- school policies that are negotiated and understood by the whole school community
- adequate attention to capacity building through school staff training and provision of resources
- well-designed and relevant curriculum programmes based on accepted and understood learning theories
- the school's physical environment – including design, facilities, layout, supervision and sense of ownership
- the school's psychological environment – that is relationships, ethos, values and traditions.
Useful resources
Cale, L, and Harris, J. (Eds.), 'Exercise and Young People: issues, implications and initiatives', Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005
International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE) Project Advisory Group, 'The Evidence of Health Promotion Effectiveness', Luxembourg: European Commission, 1999
International Union for Health Promotion and Education (IUHPE), 'The Evidence of Health Promotion Effectiveness: a report for the European Commission', Luxembourg: European Commission, 2004
Active Partnerships – A Whole School Approach to Physical Activity
These events aimed at physical activity practitioners working in and around schools and their communities were held in April 2007 in Glasgow, Perth and Stirling.
