Young People

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What you can do and where to get help and information

Ensuring that our children and young people are healthy and have healthy lifestyles is a key priority in Kingston and a part of the Kingston's Children and Young People's Plan. Children and Young People's attitudes, values and habits have a long term impact on their wellbeing. There are clear links between good health and achievement.

There are a number of websites that give information about Health and Young People. Please follow the links at the bottom of this page for information.

What Kingston council are doing

In Kingston we have a strong history of working together in partnership with our colleagues in Health: our Healthy Schools Scheme has been highly successful. Our new Healthy Schools Scheme gives us the opportunity to develop even further and put in place some truly innovative practice. In particular we are excited by the opportunity to work more closely in partnership with our neighbouring Local Authorities and to further integrate the work that we do within Learning and Children's Services. The Scheme will make a significant contribution to the Every Child Matters Five Outcomes for all our young people.

National Healthy School status requires schools to meet criteria in four core themes. These criteria relate not only to the taught curriculum but also to the emotional, physical and learning environment that the school provides. There are a number of specific actions that schools need to take if they are to be recognised as Healthy Schools.

Schools are asked to demonstrate evidence in the core themes using a whole-school approach involving the whole school community:

• personal, social and health education including sex and relationship education and drug education (including alcohol, tobacco and volatile substance abuse);
• healthy eating;
• physical activity; and
• emotional health and wellbeing (including bullying).

Nearly 70% of our schools have been accredited as having Healthy School status. By the end of 2009 we aim to have all our schools engaged in the programme.

For further information about the National Healthy School Programme go to the National Healthy School Programme (NHSP) website(see related external links below). On this site you will find evaluation evidence, guidance material and other contacts. The site also contains information and exercises for pupils, as well as information for parents and teachers and links to other sites.