Healthy Cornwall launches schools toolkit
Online resource developed with partner organisations aims to help schools across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly boost the health and well-being of pupils and their families
A new Healthy Schools Toolkit has been launched online by Healthy Cornwall, designed to support local schools and educational settings, including special schools and the home education community.
The Healthy Schools Toolkit was officially launched last Saturday (October 19) at the ‘Big Dig Day’ held at Heamoor Primary School in Penzance, which has helped to develop the new online resource.
The toolkit is focused on six core health themes, under which there are recommendations for topics to cover in learning, details of effective activities and links to more information, lesson plans, and a variety of top tips and tools. The themes are:
- Food, nutrition and dental health
- Physical activity
- Emotional health and well-being
- Health protection
- Environment, community and reasonability
- Workforce well-being.
Schools and education settings are also encouraged to sign up for regular updates from Healthy Cornwall’s expert team, who will provide new resources and tools as well as training sessions in future, as well as news of relevant campaigns. What’s more, the team will share the work being doing in schools using the resources, encouraging others to take part.
By signing up, participants can also provide feedback to the team on the effectiveness of the resources and how the Healthy Cornwall team can offer further support.
Cllr Barbara Ellenbroek, Cabinet Member for Children and Families at Cornwall Council, says: ‘I’m blown away by the amount of hard work, passion and creativity that has gone into producing this Healthy Schools Toolkit. It is jam-packed with great tips and ideas about how to make sure health and wellbeing is prioritised in all our education settings which can then have a ripple effect on families and the wider community. It is one of our priorities that Cornwall should be a brilliant place to be a child and grow up, and I’m sure this toolkit for schools will play an important role in achieving this goal.’
Rachel Wigglesworth, Director of Public Health for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, adds: ‘I’m incredibly proud of the work that has gone into creating this toolkit so we can help schools to create a healthy, happy place for our children, young people and teaching staff. Having a learning environment that prioritises pupils’ health and wellbeing is vital if we want to help them to feel good about themselves and achieve their potential.’
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