Since launching in Autumn 2023, Calderdale’s Healthy Schools Award has been warmly welcomed by the borough’s schools. Co-produced with teachers and staff from local schools and designed to be easy to complete, the awards recognise all the excellent work schools do to support children and young people to be healthy and happy.
Well-received and Highly Valued
Notable is the excitement that the awards have generated in schools, with staff and students fully invested and wanting to achieve the highest levels. On presenting the Gold Award for Physical Activity in one school’s assembly, when pupils heard that they could now aim for Platinum (Gold in two areas) or Diamond (Gold in all three areas; physical activity, food and nutrition, and mental and emotional wellbeing) one of the children asked, ‘What’s after Diamond’?! Clearly, the appetite for recognition and pride in their school is motivating staff and children to become involved.
Thank you so much for our award, we have worked extremely hard on it and I am so pleased it has been recognised.
Leanne Clarke, Vice Principal, William Henry Smith School, achieved Diamond Award
There are now three Diamond schools, two of which – New Road and Copley Primary Schools – belong to the same federation of schools, showing that senior leaders’ belief in their offer is a key factor. Beyond that, schools from across the borough support each other through the Calderdale Schools’ Health and Wellbeing Network which holds regular meetings, the perfect forum for sharing initiatives and developing best practices. The third Diamond school is William Henry Smith, an alternative provision setting and a testament to the all-encompassing nature of the awards.
Schools Focus on What Works for Them
Whilst some schools aim for a clean sweep of awards and go for gold in all three areas, others prefer to focus on one or two areas. The first to achieve this was Calder Primary School who were awarded Gold in Emotional Wellbeing, the first pilot school to reach this goal in 2023. More recently, the two newest Gold Healthy Schools, Ripponden Junior and Infant School and Wainstalls School have both been awarded Gold for Physical Activity. This is a fitting reward for two of Calderdale’s 12 Trailblazers, the first schools to enrol on the Active Schools programme. This flexibility ensures that schools are recognised and rewarded for their achievements whilst working towards developing their offer in other areas, providing parents and carers with an up-to-date reflection of everything the school does well.
Working Together
As with two schools within the same federation supporting each other in their applications, one of the strongest positive outcomes of the awards system is that schools are working together to support each other to achieve higher awards. A perfect case in point is of two secondary schools, one of whom is an Active Schools Trailblazer, working with another school to embed physical activity into the school day to support student fitness and learning. In turn, the other school is helping the Active School to look at their emotional wellbeing offer, an area in which they have confidence having utilised a national programme that helps students to engage. This type of collaborative working helps staff to maximise their offer and share best practices using tried and tested methods and initiatives.
Thank you so much for this - what a way to end the year! We will put the news in the newsletter and get it on the letterhead immediately, I have already added it to my email signature!
We will get a date in the diary for you to come and present the plaque and do a staff meeting.
Many thanks once again and have a great summer.
Lorraine Bamforth, Headteacher Ripponden J&I School, achieved Gold Award in Physical Activity
Extending the Offer
The success of the award has shone through in the excitement it generates amongst students, staff and parents/carers when a school achieves an award. To extend this offer beyond school settings and allow more children, families and practitioners to be involved, the Calderdale Healthy Early Years Award is being piloted in autumn 2024. Using the same format of bronze, silver and gold tiers looking at physical activity, food and nutrition and mental and emotional wellbeing, the criteria have been adapted to reflect the OFSTED requirements and extended offers seen in the Early Years and Foundation Stage (EYFS) sector. Once settings have completed the pilot and given feedback to make any changes or improvements, the awards will be rolled out with EYFS settings across the borough invited to apply to be recognised for their high-quality provision. More updates will follow as and when they happen, in the meantime huge congratulations to all the teachers & school staff, senior leaders, and children & young people who have made their school a Healthy School.
Many thanks for your email and for informing us of these achievements - it's a testament to the commitment of all children and staff in school and we are delighted that we have been recognised for all our endeavours.
Moving forward, [new teacher] is very keen to become involved in continuing our active agenda in school and in supporting our brilliant, sporting teaching assistant, in continuing our great work. I have copied [them] into this email and please do continue to copy me into your emails so that I can oversee our continued support of this wonderful initiative.
Have a lovely summer break and many thanks for all your support.
Linda Waugh, Principal Wainstalls School, achieved Gold Award in Physical Activity
