School pupils from across North Yorkshire and York have been given key advice on healthy living after gathering to celebrate a scheme aimed at promoting well-being from a young age.
Almost 100 children were advised on the importance of keeping their teeth healthy; were given tips for a healthy mind including spending time in nature, eating well and drinking water at a special event to mark the success of a Healthy Schools awards scheme.
So far, more than 280 of the county’s schools have signed up to take part in North Yorkshire Council’s Healthy Schools Award Programme. Since its launch three years ago,129 of those schools have now gained awards in the scheme which recognises pupils’ efforts to improve their health and well-being.
Participating schools work towards bronze, silver or gold Healthy School status by meeting criteria across four themes:
· Active lives.
· Food in schools.
· Emotional health and well-being.
· Personal, social and health education.
Actions include improving school dinners, setting up staff and pupil well-being champions and increasing ways for pupils to be active throughout the school day.
These themes formed the basis of a series of educational workshops at a celebration day in Harrogate. Pupils from participating schools including from York, Bedale, Colburn, Northallerton and Harrogate took part in the event at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, which offered its facilities free.
Activities included pupils taking part in demonstrations such as how to brush their teeth properly, sampling tasty and healthy foods from recipes to use with leftovers, trying their hands at making fruit kebabs and pedalling on an energy bike which showed how much energy it takes to power lightbulbs.
North Yorkshire Council’s director of public health, Louise Wallace, said: “We all had a great day exploring ideas for how pupils can work together to make positive changes in their school.
“It was an honour to present schools with their Healthy Schools certificates, which they have worked so hard to achieve.”
Schools attending the event were: (gold renewal level) Linton-on-Ouse Primary School; (silver level) Bedale Church of England Primary School, Alverton Community Primary School; (bronze level) Colburn Community Primary School; as well as Bilton Grange Community Primary School and Hempland Primary School in York.
Summing up the event, Emily Potts, a Year 2 teacher at Bedale Church of England Primary School, said: “We love attending the celebration events as they are very well organised with interactive sessions for the children.
“Staff are always very friendly, and the lunchtime activities are interesting, informative and varied.
“Our pupils loved everything about the day, especially pedalling the electricity bike! The Healthy Schools programme helps us to generate ideas and keep well-being as a priority for our school.”
All schools in North Yorkshire and York schools can sign up to the Healthy Schools Award Programme at no cost. To find out more, visit www.healthyschoolsnorthyorks.org/ or email healthyschools@northyorks.gov.uk