Award time for county borough's healthy schools

The Caerphilly Healthy Schools team hosted an awards ceremony recently to celebrate the achievements of schools across the county borough.

The event, which was attended by over 200 delegates including pupils, teachers and a range of public sector partners and council officials, took place at the Oasis Centre in Cefn Fforest recently.

Throughout the day, guests enjoyed a variety of informative presentations on food, fitness and emotional health, and also a production on healthy eating and physical activity by 'The Big Wheel' theatre group.

Plaques were also presented to 42 schools, which have gained 'Healthy Schools' accreditation in the last year.

Cllr Lindsay Whittle, Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council said, "I am delighted that pupils and teachers in schools across the county borough have embraced the Healthy Schools Scheme and have worked hard to ensure that health is a prominent feature in school policies and practices."

Caerphilly Healthy Schools team works with pupils, teachers, parents and a range of partners to improve the health of whole school communities. The team strives to achieve its objectives by enabling schools to develop a whole-school approach to health through its work in seven health topics:

• Food and fitness
• Mental and emotional health and wellbeing
• Personal development and relationships
• School environment
• Substance use and misuse
• Safety
• Hygiene

The topics are developed through a whole-school approach that emphasises:

• Leadership and Communication
• Curriculum
• Ethos and environment
• Family and community involvement

A Healthy School is one that actively promotes, protects and embeds the physical, mental and social health and well being of its community through positive action by such means as policy, strategic planning, and staff development with regard to its curriculum, physical environment and community relations.

The Healthy Schools team is leading on a number of exciting initiatives such as the Healthy Early Years Scheme, the Healthy colleges Scheme and the Pyramid Project, which aims to identify children who are facing difficulties in their social and emotional development, focussing on those who are quieter, shy or more withdrawn and who tend to internalise their difficulties or find it hard to make friends.

For further information about the Healthy Schools Scheme, please call 01443 864947