Health promotion in education settings
We support education settings to promote health and wellbeing. When children and young people feel safe, supported and positive about their wellbeing, they are more likely to attend school, engage in learning, and achieve academically.
Our free package of support helps schools develop their health and wellbeing offer to provide the best possible environment for students.
If you would like to speak to us about the support available, email healthpromotionineducation@southglos.gov.uk
Page contents
Resources and guidance
We provide a range of practical resources to support personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), and wider wellbeing.
We signpost schools to free local and national health and wellbeing support such as lesson plans, workshops, information, policy guidance and CPD opportunities.
PSHE resource and information platform
The platform contains teaching materials, guidance and toolkits. Email us on healthpromotionineducation@southglos.gov.uk to request access.
Health and wellbeing bulletin
A termly update for PSHE leads, pastoral staff and senior leaders. Email us on healthpromotionineducation@southglos.gov.uk to join the mailing list.
Directories and guidance support pathways
We have directories of free services and support on a wide range of topics including PSHE, mental health, food environments and physical activity.
You can find the PSHE directory, toolkits and leaflets in the downloads and related links sections of this page.
Workforce support and training
We offer support to help staff feel confident delivering health and wellbeing provision. This can include local training, signposting to national training, and PSHE and RSHE advice.
Learn more about the free public health CPD opportunities available for South Gloucestershire schools.
Award programme
Our award programme is open to all education settings and is made up of 3 stages:
Stage 1: healthy roots quality mark
Stage 2: beacon setting status (completion of 4 to 6 awards)
Stage 3: beacon+ exemplar setting status (completion of 7 or more awards)
We run the following 3 awards:
Healthy roots quality mark
The healthy roots quality mark is a baseline assessment to show how education settings promote pupil and staff health and wellbeing.
Read this guidance document before starting the online self-assessment.
Complete the online self-assessment.
Mental health and wellbeing award
This award recognises best practice of a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing and identifies areas for development.
Option 1: Complete the online self-assessment and action plan. Our resource and guidance toolkit includes local and national information and support linked to the whole school approach.
Option 2: If you have recently completed a review with your mental health support team or through senior mental health leads training, you may be able to use this as the basis for the award. Contact mentalhealth@southglos.gov.uk to arrange a Microsoft Teams call.
Food and nutrition award
This award recognises best practice of a whole school approach to food and nutrition and identifies areas for development based on DFE guidance and evidence-based practice.
Complete the online self-assessment and action plan.
Evidence: data and insight
Support is available to help you use data and insight to improve pupil health and wellbeing. Data sources include:
- the South Gloucestershire population health intelligence portal for a range of local health and wellbeing information
- the national child measurement programme (NCMP) to understand trends in physical health and healthy weight
- the national active lives survey to explore physical activity levels
- the national oral health survey for insights to support targeted interventions
- the health and wellbeing online pupil survey (South Gloucestershire)
Health and wellbeing online pupil survey
We encourage education settings to participate in the health and wellbeing online pupil survey (OPS) which is done every 2 years.
The survey:
- is free for all primary, secondary, and post 16 settings, including non-mainstream and special educational settings
- is age appropriate with tailored versions for year 4; years 5 and 6; year 7; years 8 to 11; and years 12 and 13
Questions asked in the survey cover educational experience, inclusion, mental health and wellbeing, inequality, safeguarding and support, and physical health.
The results provide:
- insight into pupil health, wellbeing and educational support need
- an opportunity to show how pupil voice has influenced change
- quality evidence to inform school development and strategic leadership processes
Participating settings receive a summary report benchmarking their pupils against the rest of South Gloucestershire.
Additional analysis requests can be made to support specific health and wellbeing projects or interventions.
Summary report
Read the most recent survey summary report (2023).
Use and publication of OPS data in any context must be strictly in accordance with the OPS data sharing terms and conditions.
Share good practice
Our celebration and good practice sharing protocol outlines a clear and consistent approach so that success can be replicated across schools.
You can request support to share your good practice or submit a completed case study form by emailing healthpromotionineducation@southglos.gov.uk.
You can download some existing school case studies from the downloads section of this page.