Schools Health & Wellbeing Service

Check here for some important news updates and information!

BACK TO SCHOOL GUIDANCE

Government School Guidance - You can find the updated Government school guidance for re-opening in September here. There is more specific guidance around Emotional Health & Wellbeing, the curriculum in relation to PSHE and also pastoral support for pupils returning to school, under Curriculum, Behaviour & Support

The coronavirus pandemic has upended our normal way of life. Schools are now welcoming children back to school – not after a break of a few weeks like normal, but after several months. Understandably, the return to school may be an anxious or difficult time for children, parents and school staff.

Mentally Healthy Schools have created a set of practical resources to help make the transition back to school easier for everyone. They’re designed to be social distancing-friendly, and many can be adapted to be delivered remotely in the case of local lockdowns. They are all are suitable for schools in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

There are assembly and lesson plans for teachers, advice and guidance for parents, and simple activities for children to complete in class or at home. You can find all of these resources here.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN PRIMARY SCHOOL FINDINGS

Children Become Less Active Each Year of Primary School

A new study shows that by age 11, children are doing more than an hour less of physical activity a week than at age 6. The study revealed a dramatic drop in children’s physical activity levels by the time they finish primary school. Monitoring the behaviour of more than 2,000 children from 57 schools across South West England during primary school, it found children became 17 minutes less active per week every year.

Children wore an accelerometer for five days, including two weekend days, which provided an accurate assessment of how many minutes per day the children participated in moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) – enough to get them slightly out of breath and sweaty.

This study found that 61% of children in Year 1 did at least an hour of MVPA per day, but by Year 6, only 41% achieved the target. The drop was particularly steep for girls, who fell from 54% to 28% by the time they finished primary school. You can read the full article here.

OFSTED REVIEW

Download the latest Ofsted Review into what actions schools are taking to reduce childhood obesity: Obesity, healthy eating and physical activity in primary schools