The healthy schools rating scheme has been designed to recognise and encourage schools’ contributions to pupils’ health and wellbeing.

It celebrates the positive actions that schools are delivering in terms of healthy eating and physical activity, and aims to help schools identify useful next steps in their provision. This voluntary scheme is available for both primary and secondary schools.

Schools will complete a self-assessment via the Active Lives Children’s Survey and then receive a rating based on their responses around:

1. Food education
2. Compliance with the school food standards
3. Time spent on physical education
4. Promotion of active travel

Each participating school will receive a report based on their survey answers, and those achieving Gold, Silver or Bronze awards will receive an award.

Further details on the Active Lives Children’s Survey can be found here.

To support schools through this process Active Black Country and Public Health teams and partners from across the Black Country have designed a resource to support schools in improving their healthy schools rating.

The resource contains key guidance and national and local resources to support schools through the process.

We have also developed a practical example of how a school can work through the rating.

The resource can be downloaded here                        Example of how to work through the rating

                                                                      

For more information, email Tim Aldred.

Black Country Healthy Schools Platinum Award

This award has been designed, in consultation with Public Health and education partners, to recognise those schools adopting a whole school approach to:

1. Embedding physical activity across the school day
2. Food and Nutrition

The award is open to Primary, Secondary and Special schools who have achieved the Gold Award in the Healthy Schools Rating and will support schools in meeting statutory health education requirements from September 2020.

An example of how a school can work through the whole process is included here.

Further details will be released in due course but the award will be launched and available for schools to apply from April 2020.

Criteria:

How to Apply? 

• Open to Black Country schools only
• Once a school has achieved the Gold Healthy School Rating they are able to apply for the Platinum Award.
• Schools must complete and provide evidence using the application form.
• Applications can be made Year round with the Healthy Schools panel meeting termly to award successful schools.
• Application forms will be available for schools to download from April 2020

Benefits:

As well as supporting schools in meeting statutory health education requirements from September 2020. Each successful school will also receive:

• The Healthy Schools Platinum mark for two years
• An Electronic Kitemark for schools to use on website
• A plaque and certificate
• Opportunity to be part of video case studies showcasing the schools work to others across the Black Country.
  

If you have any questions, please email Tim Aldred.