The National Perspective/Fife Model

The Health Promoting School: Being Well-Doing Well (SHPU, 2004)

Being Well - Doing Well is a national framework for health promoting schools in Scotland. Every school was sent copies of the documents in February 2004. It identifies 6 key characteristics of the Health Promoting School:

  • Leadership and Management
  • Ethos
  • Partnership working
  • Curriculum, learning and teaching
  • Personal, social and health education programmes
  • Environment, resources and facilities

It would be beneficial when engaging in the process of becoming a Health Promoting School to read “Being Well – Doing Well”.

'Being Well – Doing Well' link to PDF on national website for download: http://www.healthpromotingschools.co.uk/images/beingwell
doingwell_tcm4-121991.pdf

Fife Health Promoting Schools (HPS) Model

Whilst, in Fife, we are embracing the national key characteristics, in practice we feel that "Partnership Working" underpins all the characteristics and is essential to all HPS development. In this light we have positioned ‘Partnership Working’ at the core of our model as it is integral to the process.

Making the Connections

“Being well – Doing” well sits in the framework of education through the self evaluation series, “HGIOS, The Child at the Centre- the Health Promoting School.” (HMIe 2004) The relationship between the key characteristics of a health promoting school and the school quality indicators is outlined below.

Section Key Characteristic Quality Indicators
  National Priorities and Health Promoting Schools  
1 Curriculum, Learning and Teaching 1.2 Courses and Programmes
Meeting pupils’ needs
2 Personal, Social and Health Education Pastoral Care
Personal and Social Development
3 Partnership working Links with local authority, other schools, agencies and employers
4 Inclusive Ethos Climate and relationships5.3 Equality and fairness 5.4 Partnership with parents, the School Board and the community
5 Environment , Resources and Facilities 6.3 Organisation and use of resources
6 Leadership and management 7.4 Leadership
“HGIOS, The Child at the Centre- the Health Promoting School.” (HMIe 2004)

National Priorities and Health Promoting Schools

There are currently 5 National Priorities set by the Scottish Executive for education. Working as a health promoting school links directly with the National Priorities as outlined below.

National Priority Implications For Health Promotion
1. To raise standards of achievement for all in schools.
  • Schools should take account of the links between achievement healthy living, and work with their partners in taking appropriate action to overcome health-related barriers to achievement.
  • Effective approaches to health education and promotion will assist schools in raising achievement for all.
2. To establish effective teaching and learning environments.
  • Schools should provide safe, supportive, accessible and well-resourced environments for all children and young people, staff and the wider community.
  • Support and training should be provided for teachers, support staff, health professionals and other partner agencies, to help them establish 'educationally rich' environments in which children and young people can learn effectively.
3. To promote equality and help every pupil benefit from education.
  • All children and young people should have equal access to learning and teaching approaches, which provide appropriate challenge, participation and support, and have a positive effect on physical, emotional and social health and well-being.
4. To work with others to teach children and young people about respect and the duties and responsibilities of citizenship.
  • The ethos of the school should provide a context for children and young people to develop decision-making skills and a sense of responsibility for their own health and that of others.
  • Schools, professionals, other partner agencies and parents/carers should work together to develop the well-being of children and young people and their sense of respect and responsibility for self and others.
5. To equip children and young people with the skills, attitudes and expectations necessary to prosper in a changing society.
  • Staff in schools should help children and young people develop the skills and attitudes to enable them to make informed choices resulting in a healthier lifestyle.
  • Staff should encourage an ethos in which positive attitudes to healthy life-long learning will flourish.
  • Through learning to accept and share responsibility in school, children and young people are helped to become thoughtful and responsible adults who can play positive roles in the community.
“HGIOS, The Child at the Centre- the Health Promoting School.” (HMIe 2004)