Huntington School becomes first in York to receive Silver Healthy Schools Award

Huntington School has become the first in the city to be awarded a coveted Silver Healthy Schools’ Award.

The award is part of the Healthy Schools Programme, launched by City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council in partnership last year.

The programme aims to encourage state-funded schools across the county to work towards improving the health and wellbeing of pupils through a ‘whole school approach’. It covers four key themes: personal, social, and health education (PSHE); emotional health and wellbeing; active lifestyles; and food in schools.

Schools can work towards Bronze, Silver and Gold Healthy School awards. Pupil voice and involvement is a key part of the programme, along with staff wellbeing. Teachers can also take advantage of free resources and training sessions.

Since its launch in March last year, a quarter of schools in York have signed up to join the programme, which is funded and supported by the council’s Public Health team.

Huntington School was the first school in the city to achieve Healthy Schools accreditation under the programme, achieving a Bronze award for PSHE in November. Since then, the school has continued to work on improving the health and wellbeing of pupils and staff by completing the requirements for the emotional health and wellbeing theme and the staff wellbeing criteria, achieving a Silver award this month.

Cllr Bob Webb, the council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said:

“It’s fantastic to see how schools and academies across the city are engaging with the Healthy Schools Programme. Huntington School has really embraced the aims of the programme and has underlined their commitment to the health of pupils and staff by not only being the first school in the city to receive a Bronze Award, but now the first to receive a Silver Award as well. Huge congratulations to all those involved.”

Mrs Kettlewell from Huntington School, said:

“At Huntington School we do all we can to improve the health and wellbeing of our pupils. By engaging with the Healthy School Award it has allowed us to reflect on what we are doing well and where we can improve. We have already put in place some changes as a result of the feedback we have received and we aim to continue doing this and work towards the gold level over the next year.”

As part of the programme, Huntington School has introduced a new Mental Health Policy and 12 Mental Health Champions from Year 12 and Year 10 who will deliver drop-in sessions for students.

Ensuring that York is a health generating city, where residents are able to live happy healthy lives is one of the council’s priorities, set out in the Council Plan 2023-2027, One City for all.

For further information on the Healthy Schools programme please contact:  healthy.schools@northyorks.gov.uk  or register to take part online at www.healthyschoolsnorthyorks.org