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. The National Healthy Schools Scheme (NHSP), a joint initiative by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department of Health, 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 in a joint scheme with Merton and Richmond and to further integrate the work that we do within Learning and Children's Services. The NHSP makes a significant contribution to the Every Child Matters Five Outcomes for all our young people.

Becoming accredited with National Healthy School Status (NHSS) 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 actions that schools need to take to become accredited with NHSS, such as developing a whole school food policy.

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).

Currently all Kingston schools are participating in the NHSP and 86% have been accredited as having Healthy School status.

For further information about the National Healthy School Programme please visit the website (see related external links below). For more information you can also contact:

Siân Rowland, Programme Coordinator, Kingston, Merton and Richmond Healthy Schools. Telephone: 020 8288 5630 or Email: srowla1@rbksch.org

Learning and Children’s Services: Telephone: 020 8547 5324 or Email: learningandchildren@rbk.kingston.gov.uk