The Leicester City Health Promoting School Programme is pleased to present this new website to support your work in achieving Healthy Schools accreditation.

The local programme has been in operation for over four years and is a partnership between Leicester City LA and Eastern Leicester and City West Primary Care Trusts. In November 2001 the programme achieved accreditation to the National Healthy School Programme.

This coordinated partnership approach focuses on the agenda for national healthy school status. There is growing evidence that healthier children perform better academically and that education plays an important role in promoting better health and emotional wellbeing. The programme also aims to assist its schools in tackling health inequalities and promoting social inclusion.

In the recent review of Health Promoting schools Ofsted commented that those schools participating in the programme are making improvements at a faster rate than schools nationally in the areas of :

• Pupil behaviour
• Standards of work in the classroom
• The management and support of pupils
• The quality of the PSHE programme

The NHSP also supports the aims and principles of the recent legislation Every Child Matters, which is a framework that sets out policies to support children from 0–19 to develop their full potential and prevent negative outcomes.

A healthy school is not a new concept. However, the aim of the programme is to emphasise the importance of the whole school approach whilst working towards Healthy School accreditation. Healthy school activities are intended to be holistic. They need to be recognised and actively supported by all sections of the school community: pupils staff, parents governors and all other partners in the wider community.

The purpose of this website is to clearly explain the process, expectations and levels of support that schools will need to commit to when they sign up to join the programme. In return the programme offers to give practical support for schools to work towards creating an enjoyable, safe, productive learning environment for all their pupils and staff. The Leicester Local Education Authority has formed a partnership with Eastern Leicester and City West Primary Care Trusts to support the NHSP.

The strategic aims of the NHSP are to:

• Raise pupil achievement
• Reduce health inequalities
• Promote social inclusion
• Support children & young people in developing healthy behaviours.

The aims of the national targets are achieved in the local programme by addressing the following core themes:

• Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) 
  (including Drug Education & Sex and Relationships Education)
• Healthy Eating
• Physical Activity
• Emotional Health and Well-being (including bullying)

• Local priorities -  Raising Boys' Achievement
• School priorities - Citizenship and Safety